So Us Is This
by Red Tabby Tigress
Summary: Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas rescue a girl from a group of men who are abusing her, but she is frightened of them. She won't let Aragorn near her, doesn't trust Gimli, and Legolas has no idea what to say to her, as the sole person she is willing to trust.
1. Mind Dependency

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. I really really wish I did, but I don't, so *Gah* life sucks huh? XD

  


WOAH. Did I really write four pages in Word Perfect minus the Authors notes, and Disclaimer! WOW 0_o. Maybe I should write more at midnight when I get ideas, and feel the urge to write. Yet another one of those stories I just write without a thought, so no flames, I really don't care......

I seem to do a lot of these stories. But you know how you just REALLY think of a cool idea at the time? This is one of those times............well, not a good idea, LOL.

  
  


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BTW, this is randomness, so if you don't like it, don't waste your time, and just don't read and flame, kk? But reviews are much appreciated. As I said before, it's not the best, so I do know that, because it was random, so ya. R/R

  


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Aragorn and Gimli were walking at a leisurely pace through a small forest, their stances relaxed, but their weapons at easy reach for them. Legolas accompanied them, but he had been distant, quiet, even for himself, and had not spoken more than a couple of words since they had entered the forest. The Elf's demeanor had not made the human completely at ease, and he kept on his guard. Legolas had been flighty, and unsettled for quite some time, and had finally resorted to pressing ahead to keep watch.

  


"Where is that crazy Elf?" Gimli asked gruffly, not noticing the Human's concern.

  


"Legolas Is somewhere up ahead," Aragorn replied, but was cut off by a scream that came from somewhere behind him. 

  


Without another word, Aragorn drew his sword, which gleamed in his hand, and ran in the direction. Gimli ran after him, not bothering to grab his axe right away- there would be time for that later. He chased the human, until finally he caught him, and kept pace with him. He cursed when he saw a group of men, about ten of them, taunting someone, who was curled up tightly, knees drawn to chest, in an attempt to shield themselves from the onslaught. Gimli frowned, and readied his axe, 

pulling it up, standing by Aragorn to support him.

  


"I suggest you leave her alone," Aragorn said firmly, stepping out so the men could see him. Gimli stayed hidden, as an element of surprise.

  


"And what are you going to do if we don't?" one of the men asked, sneering at him.

  


"Then I will have to make you," Aragorn said, his voice not wavering. He stepped forward, and brought his sword up. 

  


"The odds are against you," The man laughed, turning to his men, "Kill him, and hurry up about it."

  


The rest of the men closed in on the Ranger, and steel clashed with steel as he blocked a blow. He heard a blade behind him, and blocked it also, and Gimli jumped from where he was hiding, landing his axe on the man, killing him with one blow. Aragorn had no time to thank the Dwarf though, as he was quickly attacked by several men, and he had to use every ounce of practice he had ever experienced with a sword into his movements to dodge and block the blows, and then he lunged forward, spearing the man on his sword, and drawing back to defend himself once more.

  
  


As he cut down another man, from the corner of his eye, he saw the man he assumed as leader grab the female, and drag her. When she resisted his touch, he slapped her hard across the face, and kicked her hard, making her cry out. He tried to get to her, to stop the man from harming her further, but was blocked by the last man, who was much more skilled than the other two. He gritted his teeth, and tried to fight off the man, when he heard another cry of pain from the female, who was now unconscious from a blow to the head. He tried to hurry, to rid himself of his opponent, but it only resulted in a deep wound up his arm, and after that, he slowed down. 

He sighed in relief when he saw Legolas spring from the surrounding forest, knocking the man down, and was able to concentrate on his own opponent.

  
  


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Legolas lunged at the man who was readying himself to kick the female at his feet yet again, even though she had lost consciousness. The two of them fell to the ground, and Legolas pinned the human, bringing his knife to the man's throat in a fluid motion, pressing the blade against his neck, with just enough pressure to leave a small mark.

  


"I suggest you leave her alone," he hissed, but the man kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the elf off him. In an instant, Legolas was on his feet, standing between him and the girl who lay on the ground at his feet.

  


"Stand aside," The man threatened, drawing his blade.

  


"You will not harm her further," Legolas said in a determined voice, drawing his own blade, gripping them lightly by the handles. In an instant, he felt the steel slam heavily, crashing against his knives, and he knocked the blade up. The man's eyes widened slightly, the Elf was much stronger than he looked. But then he burst into a savage onslaught, nearly knocking Legolas aside in several solid strikes. He didn't notice until too late that the blonde elf in front of him had made a swift movement, slamming his fist into his temple, and then sliding the knife deep into his stomach. 

  


Legolas watched as the man gasped, and he withdrew his sword from his body. Then he collapsed to the ground, dead. His face was void of emotion as he slowly turned, and searched out his friends.

He found Aragorn and Gimli crouched over the female, trying desperately to revive her, with no avail. He wiped off his blades, and put them back in their sheaths, moving towards Aragorn, who had now gathered the girl up in his arms.

  


"We must get her away from here, and set up camp," Aragorn said quietly and seriously, "She needs rest." The female didn't stir.

  


"I will find a suitable place," Legolas said, "I can set up a camp and be ready for you."

  


"I will not decline that offer, I myself am tired," Aragorn nodded, and Legolas smiled.

  


"I will see you soon then," he said, before he disappeared into the forest once more, and Aragorn could no longer see or hear him.

  
  


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Legolas was standing in the shadows of a tree, barely visible, keeping watch. After Aragorn had reached the camp, and lay the girl down to tend to her injuries, Gimli had told him that she had been elf-kind. Since he had seen her, he had not known what to do about her, but had been unable to leave her vunerable to the onslaught of a man, especially while she was unconscious. It had angered him, as he would never ever hit a woman, not just because of his even temperament, and not because he thought of women as weak, but because he believed that it was lowering oneself to hit someone whom should be treated with respect in their own way. He did not want to be involved with her in any way, but he didn't know why, she just made him nervous, especially since he had not been around females since before the fellowship had departed. Even then, it had been Arwen, a much trusted friend. 

  


He sighed, and tensed when he heard something approaching him. Silently reaching for his bow, and making sure he had access to an arrow, he stood still, waiting. He relaxed a little, however, when he saw it was Aragorn, and lowered his bow, advancing on the human, who looked a little bewildered.

  


"Aragorn, what is wrong?" Legolas inquired, seeing the human's distress. He motioned for the man to sit on a rock, and stood, waiting for a reply.

  


"It is the girl," Aragorn sighed, "Legolas, she will not let me near her, I cannot get close enough to even hold conversation." The elf frowned.

  


"But why would she be afraid of you?" Legolas asked curiously, "will she tolerate the Dwarf?"

  


"No, he had no more luck than I. She does not trust humans, she has been abused, and raped," he sighed heavily, frowning, "I do not blame her for not wanting to come near me."

  


Legolas frowned, a slightly distressed look played across his face, and he looked at Aragorn.

"Then the man I killed did not deserve to die the death I bestowed upon him," he said softly.

  


"You did what was right in protecting her from further damage," Aragorn studied the elf, "And for that, I thank you. I know you will probably not like what I would wish you to do, but I am asking you to comfort her somewhat. She may put some trust in you, since she is an elf."

  


"Aragorn, you know I am no good at talking to females," he protested, "It will be in vain."

  


"Legolas, please do this, you are a good friend, with a kind personality," Aragorn frowned, "She is exhausted. All you need to do is help her relax a little, so she can rest, make conversation as if she was I or Gimli."

  


The elf sighed, looking down for awhile. When he raised his eyes, he looked at Aragorn squarely. 

  


"Alright," he said, "I will attempt to calm her somewhat. But do not expect it to work."

  


"I will tell Gimli to stand his ground," Aragorn stood up, "She is back at the camp."

  


Legolas numbly followed the human back to their resting place. At least he felt relieved, because the bad feeling about the place had disappeared after the attack. Now he had an entirely new problem on his hands, and this one, he wasn't sure he could cope with as easily.

  
  


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*Gah* that was horrible. I know, don't tell me, :S *eats foot* 

  


Anyways, if anyone actually liked that, .......yea, I'd appreciate if you dropped in and reviewed, 

  


Hehe. Im nuts. Going to dream up thin air again, XD.


	2. Blank

Disclaimer: Bah. I don't own LotR.....I wish, but unfortunatly my magic monkey has not come back from my friends place yet. *gutted* Oh well. I met the bugger dog today!!! (the dog that is in the first LotR, uhh....I think when the wraith goes past that farmer guy, who is like *they aint here, they're in the shire* and the dog is barking at the Wraith, and then he like slinks into the house and hides) That was pretty cool! He's a really nice dog! He was doing tricks too! Gah.

  


OMG I got SEVEN reviews for my first chapter! Wow. I really can't believe that. The most I have got for a first chapter is like..............three or four......0_0 wow! Thanks to EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!! Sorry im not gonna do comments this chapter, so I can upload it fast for those who complained about having only one chapter

  


And Yes, I know my stories are short, but im really trying to make them longer, normally I write like two pages! Im up to like four now, and getting more ideas as I go, so hopefully the ones to come will be longer. Oh, and like, I have my big end of year exams, so yea.....LOL..

  
  


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And yes I forgot. The speech that has ~"ladidadida"~ is like....a conversation in Elvish. I put it in english to avoid confusing myself and others, but keep in mind, speech like that is an elvish conversation =)

  


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Eveaniea sat at the edge of the camp, her knees tucked up to her chin, her deep blue eyes carefully tracking the dwarf, who was wandering around the camp, stoking the fire, and cooking them a meal. She felt slightly relieved that the Human male had left, but as an Elf, the Dwarf was an equal threat to her. She brought a hand up to touch her cheek, and winced. She knew there would be a large bruise there if she cared to look into a pool of water, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt filthy, and it was more than she could bring herself to do at this time.

  
  


She froze as she heard the noisy sound of the man coming back. He wasn't dirty, like the men who had trapped her, and violated her, but she was still intimidated by his presence. She looked around, wondering if she should make a run for it, but decided against it. At least at the moment, she was being ignored. The thought of being back in the hands of the other men made her shudder, and tightened her arms round her shins. It was then that she saw him emerge into the clearing, and approach her. She jumped, sliding backwards from him warily, but he made no attempt to go after her. He turned, and instead went to the Dwarf, and she sighed in relief, thinking she might at least get a small amount of rest that night, which she badly needed. She was exhausted, but would not let the pair in the camp know that.

  
  


It was then that she spotted a third member of the party. She could immediately tell he was an elf, from his long blonde hair, that was held neatly out of his eyes by thin braids, and the graceful, yet powerful way he moved. She eyed him cautiously, and shifted backwards as he approached her, eyeing her with much of the same caution. Despite her nervous backpeddaling, he sat down on the ground across from her, giving her a little space, his face was calm, and his expression friendly. 

  


~"You need not fear me,"~ he said in a gentle voice , ~"I mean you no harm,"~ he reached out a cautious hand to her, but she flinched, and made a motion to move away.

  


~"Don't touch me,"~ She spat, but seeing the hurt look on the other Elf's face, she couldn't help but feel guilty.

  


~"Please,"~ she added, unable to keep a slight amount of fear from her voice.

  


~"Very well,"~ he nodded understandingly, and she saw him retreat his hand. Eveaniea

looked at him in a mixture of shock and surprise.

  
  


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Legolas studied the young female elf before him intently. Her darkish brown hair was tangled, and matted, hanging limply over her shoulders, but was, nonetheless, was very long, and slightly wavy.

Her deep, sapphire blue eyes complemented her pale face, but she looked thin, as if she had been deprived of food for awhile. He took in the look of surprise she had given him, frowning. She flinched at this, and he quickly changed his expression.

  


~"Thank you,"~ he heard her say finally, in a very quiet voice, and he could see her relax a little.

  


~"You look hungry,"~ he commented, ~"I think Aragorn has readied dinner, would you like something to eat?"~

  


~"No, I am fine,"~ she muttered, and he caught her looking warily at Aragorn, but he said nothing. Instead he got to his feet, and pulled his bedroll over to where they sat. Frowning as she crawled back, he set it out, and went to his pack, drawing out a small blanket, that looked much like his cloak. He narrowed his eyes when he saw her get to her feet and run from the clearing, disappearing into the surrounding bushes of the forest. Dropping his pack, Legolas cursed softly in elvish, and ran after her before Aragorn or Gimli even noticed the two of them had gone. 

  
  


As he caught sight of her, Legolas quickened his pace, easily catching up to her. The female, even though she was Elvish, was tired, and hadn't eaten properly, and this made her slow. As he caught up to her, he grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to a halt. He saw her trembling, a frightened look in her eyes and then she started thrashing madly, lashing out at him, trying to escape his grip. Startled, and remembering what she had said when he had extended his hand to her before, he let go of her immediately, and she fell to the ground.

  


~"I am sorry,"~ he apologized, ~ "I forgot, please forgive me,"~ he said evenly, and she paused in her movements.

  


~"You look exhausted, come back to the camp, you can sleep in my bed."~ he continued, but she crawled back away from him, frowning.

  


~"You are just the same as them," she spat, ~"I thought for a moment you might be different, but I was wrong. Leave me alone!"~ she raised her voice, frightened.

  


~"Hush, I did not mean it like that,"~ Legolas frowned slightly, concerned, ~"I am standing watch tonight, you may sleep in my bed. I will see to it that nothing happens to you in the night."~ he paused,~" here, let me help you up,"~ he offered her his hand once again. For a moment, she watched him, not sure whether to trust him.

  


~"I promise I won't hurt you,"~ he said sincerely, and then he felt her take his hand, and gently pulled her up, letting go almost immediately, true to his word. 

  


~" I apologise then,"~ She said softly, ~"You must forgive me for not trusting you, but the company I have been with for the last century or so has not been.................trustworthy. They have tricked me in many ways before," she explained, her eyes darkening.

  
  


~"I do not expect you to trust me,"~ Legolas said, ~" I saw them hit you before we killed the men. But I would like you to know that I am here as a friend if you ever need it."~

  


~"I accept your offering of friendship,"~ she whispered, ~"But trust......."~ she stopped.

  


~"We can work on it, slowly,"~ he supplied, smiling a little.

  


~" I cannot afford to refuse that,"~ she let herself smile a little, ~" It has been the best choice I have been given in a long time."~

  


~"Do you mind if I ask for your name?"~ Legolas asked hesitantly, ~"I am Legolas."~

  


~"I am Eveaniea,"~ she replied.

  


~"Then Eveaniea, would you like to head back to camp, to rest?"~ he asked.

  


~"You will not let the human or the Dwarf do anything?"~ She begged.

  


~"Neither Aragorn or Gimli will harm you in the night. Nor will I let them if they decide to change suddenly,"~ he assured her.

  


~"Okay,"~ she nodded, ~"I do not know the way back, I am sorry,"~ she said.

  


~"It is alright, I do not expect you to. Now come, you need rest,"~ He ordered gently, and motioned to where they were going, watching as she nervously walked a little in front of him, then following her. He was sure Aragorn would be happy with the small amount of progress that he had made with the girl, but now he could not help but feel sick at the thought of what she had been through. And while he had not intended to have anything to do with her, to let Aragon take care of her, while he stood his distance, after seeing her, he couldn't bring himself to ignore her anymore.

She had expressed clearly to him that she did not place any trust in men or dwarves, and had accepted him as a friend to her. He shook his head. He would not abuse that friendship, especially since she sounded like, from what she had said, that she wanted to trust him.

  


It was then that he decided that he would do everything he could to help her. He could see she needed someone to talk to, that she looked lonely. If Arwen, who would have the best chance with her, was not here, then at least until they got to Rivendell, he decided it would not kill him to look out for her. 

  
  


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Aragorn smiled with relief when he saw from where he was lying, tucked into his bed, that Legolas and the she-elf had returned to the camp. He watched in amazement as she walked willingly beside his friend, and when she slowly lay down on Legolas' bedroll. His astonishment only grew when he saw she allowed the male elf to pull a couple of blankets over her, and he smiled when he realised Gimli was also watching silently, grinning like mad. But Aragorn knew Gimli wouldn't say what the look on his face suggested he wanted to say, at least not until the Elf was far enough away that he couldn't hear him. But for now, Legolas was sitting near the she-elf, giving her space, the human didn't know what else. 

  
  


It was awhile later that Aragorn felt a gentle foot nudge his side, and he opened his eyes looking up to see Legolas himself standing over him. He saw the concerned look on the Elf's face, and sat up immediately.

  


"Are you alright Legolas?" he asked, looking his Elven friend over.

  


"I am okay," he replied, "I was just going to ask you if you wouldn't mind staying away from her for a little while, she just barely trusts me, but she told me she would like to be friends before."

Aragorn smiled, standing up and resting a hand on Legolas' shoulder.

  


"Then you must have done a good job," Aragorn smiled at his friend, "I told you that you are an easy person to talk to."

  


"She has seen truly terrible days," the Elf said, shaking his head in disbelief, before looking back up at Aragorn, a slightly angry look on his face, "She ran away when I was preparing a bed for her to sleep in, and she barely lets me help her up from the ground for fear of me taking advantage of her."

  


"I saw you tucking her into bed before," Aragorn stated, "She must at least trust you a little, you are doing a good job mellon-nin," he finished.

  


"I have to get on watch," Legolas said, and Aragorn could see the Elf was forcefully keeping his face blank, "I promised her I would make sure nothing happened to her while she slept," he said. The human nodded, and Legolas turned away. As he sat, he looked at Gimli, who was feigning sleep.

  


"I think that the crazy elf loves the she-elf," he heard Gimli grunt, and he saw Legolas turn ever so slightly from where he was standing, his eyebrow raised, and Aragorn knew he had heard him.

  


"I suggest, if you would not like to be murdered in your sleep while Legolas is on watch, that you shut your mouth right now," he smiled, settling down to sleep. He heard the Dwarf grunt at the indignity of being told to shut up, and took a quick look at the Elf before he went to sleep, smiling as he saw that his eyes rested on the girl asleep in his bed.

  
  


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Hope I didn't let you guys who wanted this chapter down, I really, really hope I didn't, because when I got all your reviews I was flattered to say the least......Gah. Anyway, I hope you all liked this one, hehe.

  


Oh, and yea, KT, it's not really supposed to be humor........but I LOVE humour and I think maybe I should go on a show like 'Who's line is it anyway' some day, coz im random as. XD. But thanks all the same :D

  
  
  
  



	3. Suffocate

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except my kinda plot thing.....thing...XD, and Eveaniea, who I created for the sole purpose of this story, and perhaps some others. Anywhosa, yesh, I do not own LotR, which is somewhat depressing, LOL

  
  


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Reviews: 

  


Now I have a TON that I have received by email, like........tons....which haven't been posted on my page yet, so I am trying desperately to get you all, but sorry if I missed a couple of you out.

  


CherryFaerie: Gah. Hard to explain. It was originally just going to be one chapter of randomness, but like, when people liked it, I decided to do more. It is set after RotK, and they are travelling to Rivendell for a fleeting visit before heading back to Gondor. XD. I know, Im really confused too, LOL.

  


Racer38: Thanks man! Really appreciate the comment ;)

  


lolly pop 03: Hehe, here ya go :D

Gwanath-el- Thanks

  


Coolio 02: Hehe, thanks, here it is :S 

  


Yaebiggin : thanks for the review, and the fave! :D *hands out candy*

  


Ral: Yep, I wasn't going to entirely, but I was defeated coz Eveaniea threatened to kill me If I put her through all that torture, and at the end, she didn't get the guy, LOL. I might change the category later on if It happens, XD.

  


Legolasluver 1437: XD, yesh, I can c, LOL, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it! 

  


WHOA. Eight reviews for one chapter! And it's only like the end one! Woot! Thanks guys!!!!! Im flattered!!!! :D

  
  


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Heh, and the ~"-"~ convo still means it is in Elvish. If anyone can help me so that I can actually write in Elvish, or can like, teach me or something, by all means GIVE ME AN EMAIL! I would like to add little phrases and stuff in Elvish everywhere, XD.

  


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Eveaniea woke suddenly in the night, gasping for breath, and shaking and trembling uncontrollably. She sat up cautiously, slowly looking around. She was glad she hadn't cried out, and awoken the rest of the group. Trying to discreetly lie back down before one of the men came over to her, knowing she was awake, she slid back under the blankets, closing her eyes. She froze when she heard quiet movements toward her, and when she felt a and touch her shoulder, she scrambled away, fighting the urge to scream.

  


"Eveaniea, relax, it is only Legolas," she heard the male elf's voice, and she slowly calmed.

  


~"Are you alright?"~ she looked up to see him looking at her with concern etched on his features, and she climbed back into her bed. She was still trembling, but only a little, as she sat on the bedroll, drawing the blankets around her shoulders tightly.

  


~"I think so,"~ she said, her voice wavering, ~"I had a nightmare, and I thought I was still in the men's camp,"~ She shuddered at the last words, seeing a small frown on Legolas' face. He sat down next to her, pulling his pack over to him, and pulling a flask of water from it. 

  


~"Here, have something to drink," ~he handed her the flask, which she took cautiously from him, and took a mouthful.

  


~"Im not sure I will be able to sleep now,"~ she said quietly, lowering the flask from her mouth. 

  


~"If you would like, I will sit up with you,"~ he volunteered, ~"I can keep an ear out for anything at the same time."~

  


~"Only if you do not mind,"~ she said, taking another small sip of the water.

  


~ "It is no problem,"~ He smiled, ~ "Maybe we could tidy your hair, and find something clean for you to wear,"~ he suggested lightly, ~"It would make the night watch more interesting with company,"~

  


~"Of course,"~ she nodded, ~ "It would be nice to be clean again,"~ 

  


She smiled when he found a brush, and a clean set of clothes, and placed them in front of her, then he settled on the bedroll beside her.

  


~"I am surprised the Dwarf has not stolen my brush this time,"~ Legolas chuckled, and Eveaniea smiled, finding it was near impossible to keep her fear of the Elf beside her. He carefully took a handful of her tangled hair, and carefully ran his brush through it. She sighed.

  


~ "You are friends with him?"~ She asked, astonished, ~"I have never seen an Elf befriend a Dwarf before,"~

  


~"Gimli is a good sort,"~ Legolas smiled, ~"For a Dwarf, he is a good companion, and friend. I would trust him with my life."~

  


~"You are very lucky then,"~ she sighed, absently touching some her hair, which was now smooth, and free of knots, ~" I have only heard of their inhospitality, from my father, and mother. Then I was captured by the men, and I had other problems."~ 

  


~"I shall introduce you to Gimli in the morning, I am sure he would like to talk to you,"~ she looked uncertain as he said this, but he continued, all the same, ~" Where is your home?"~

  


~"I am from Rivendell, originally, but my parents moved to Gondor, when I was to marry an Elf there,"~ she paused, uncomfortably, as if not sure to say any more.

  


~" I went for a ride out of the city limits, and that was when the men caught me. I was sold, and then they........"~ she stopped, a tear slipping down her cheek. She heard Legolas put the brush down, and shift closer to her. Then she felt him cautiously pull her into a hug, and run his hand through her now smooth hair.

  


~"Shhh,"~ he whispered softly, ~"It's okay, we will take care of things from now on,"~ She leaned against him lightly. She had not felt safe around a male for nearly as long as she could remember, and now she felt relieved. She felt more tears slide down her cheeks, and buried her face in his shoulder, to muffle the sound. She didn't see the momentary look of surprise on Legolas' face, but she felt him tighten his arms around her, and she closed her eyes.

  
  


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Legolas was taken aback when he felt Eveaniea crying into his shoulder, he had been completely surprised when she had even let him hug her. But from what he could tell, she was very upset, and she didn't seem in a hurry to get away from him. He smiled slightly as he thought of what would happen if Gimli woke up at this moment, and saw him. The Dwarf was already getting bold ideas, he did not more proof to back them up. He felt her stir, and immediately loosen his hold around her, so if she wished, she could move, but she only shifted so she could lay her head on his shoulder.

  


~"It's okay,"~ she whispered softly in his ear, guessing why he had let go of her, ~"I feel like I can trust you, you make me feel safe,"~ She closed her eyes, wiping the tears from her face. Legolas was speechless for the moment, unable to reply, except for tightening his arms round her, this time a little more confidently, and carefully brush her hair from her face. Part of him wanted to pull away, tell her to go to sleep, as he was not used to finding himself in these situations. That was Aragorn's job. He was good at this kind of thing, and he always had something to do or say that would comfort his charge. 

  


~"You look tired again,"~ he smiled, touching her cheek softly, ~"Maybe you should try to sleep again?"~ he suggested. She slid her arms around his neck, and shifted, making herself comfortable. At first he half panicked when he realised she intended to sleep right where she was, but then he remembered she had said he made her feel safe, and he realised that she might sleep a little more peacefully. He looked down at her, hearing her breathing slow, into soft, shallow breaths, and her eyes looked blank, her face peaceful. Being careful not to bring her back to consciousness, he leaned over, taking a blanket from the bed to tuck around her slender body. His hand brushed against her hip as he smoothed the blanket down, and she woke, blinking in confusion, and fear, but when she realised he was only trying to make her warmer, and comfortable, she sighed and lay her head back on his shoulder once more.

  


~"I didn't think you would do such a thing,"~ she murmured softly as she drifted back to sleep, and Legolas smiled. She really did trust him after all. If he had done that earlier, he would possibly be chasing her through the forest again, or be nursing a few scratches and bites. His hand trailed to the deep bruise on her cheek, and he felt extremely angry as he saw it. The men she had been with had no right to do that to her, nor to violate her as they had also done. He wondered why anyone would have even wanted to hurt her in the first place, and he cursed the men inwardly for making her suffer so much, for making her so timid around him. Sometimes he could swear he heard her voice falter as if she felt she was bothering him, or if she thought something she said might anger him, and it made him sick to think that she had obviously not been allowed to speak her opinion, and maybe even been hit for it. He felt his heart melt slightly as she mumbled something in her sleep, containing his name, but then shook his head quickly. He couldn't let himself get attached to her, it would not be proper. They would take her to Rivendell, and leave her amongst the Elves there, while they travelled on to Gondor, where Aragorn would return to his duties as King. He would never hear from her again.

  


Yet strangely, Legolas caught himself drifting off in thought of what would happen if she didn't. 

He cursed himself. If one night of letting a woman sleep in his arms, for comfort, brought these thoughts into his head, he was never going to let it happen again.

  


~Besides,~ he thought to himself, ~she has been badly mistreated, there is no way she will want to be more than friends,~ he caught an odd feeling that was brought up with this thought, a feeling of sadness, that he couldn't quite brush away easily.

  
  


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When Aragorn woke the next morning, the sun was just barely up, lighting the clearing a little, and breaking the small cold spell of the morning. Gimli was still fast asleep, snoring loud enough to wake any companion that was not used to the sound. Except...... his eyes searched the camp, until he found the young female elf they had found the day before. She was still fast asleep, tucked up to her neck in Legolas' bed. Meanwhile, the male elf was no-where to be seen. Sighing, he hoped she wouldn't wake as he set about cleaning up the camp, and lighting a fire to make the company a meal. He took a quick glance every now and then to make sure she was okay, mentally cursing Legolas for disappearing. While he knew the male Elf did not like making conversation with females, especially when it was forced, he just hoped that he would be back to calm her when she panicked after finding where she was.

  


He absently banked the fire up, preparing the food in a pot, intending to make a soup jumping when he heard Legolas sit next to him at the fire, dropping a stack of dead wood and branches to keep it alight. 

  


"You're finally awake," He heard Legolas say, "Humans are such lazy creatures," the elf teased.

  


"Just because you were awake all night for the watch, Legolas," The Human smiled, "It is my turn tonight, and I presume you will be in my bedroll, not your own. Then we will see who the lazy one is," he laughed softly, as not to wake the Elf or Dwarf.

  


"Is Gimli still asleep?" Legolas asked, getting a laugh from both of them. The Dwarf's snoring was not easy to ignore, and was droning in the background. 

  


"Yes, he is," Aragorn looked over at the Dwarf, "How is your charge?"

  


"Sleeping peacefully, just as yours is," The elf replied, "She was truly tired after all she has been through. But when you have cooked breakfast, I will wake her. She must be hungry."

  


"Yes, she looked quite thin when I carried her here, best to get her to eat something if you can," Aragorn nodded, "She slept through the night?" he asked.

  


"She woke up, from a nightmare, but apart from that, she was okay. She settled down again soon afterwards," The Elf said, but the human nodding, realising his friend would not look him in the eye as he said so. However, he brushed it off. Whatever Legolas had done, he wasn't supposed to know, and he knew Legolas would never lay a hand on a female without permission, so he felt confident it was only a small thing. As he realised the soup was ready, he retrieved four bowls, and sets of utensils for each.

  


"Legolas, could you wake Gimli?" he asked, and his friend nodded, grinning wickedly, deftly creeping to the bedside of the Dwarf.

  


"Gimli," he hissed sharply, close to the Dwarf's ear, jumping back just in time as the Dwarf in question jumped up in alarm, reaching for his axe frantically. Aragorn just laughed, as he did every morning, at the antics of the pair. They were truly good friends, despite their clashes of race, and they always managed to make his travels more interesting when they were present. As the two fronted up to the fire, Aragorn filled bowls, and passed them to his friends. He smiled as Legolas, wordlessly, took two bowls, and went to the female elf. He saw that Gimli noticed this too, and the pair smiled at each other. 

  


"Maybe," Aragorn mouthed to the Dwarf, raising his eyebrow humourously, and drinking a spoon ful of his soup. The Dwarf grinned, raising his whole bowl to his mouth, his face disappearing beneath the eating tool. 

  
  


However, seemingly oblivious to their actions behind his turned back, Legolas roused Eveaniea from sleep, and offered her the bowl of soup, which she most graciously took. Seeing the look of slight fear and confusion the female elf gave them, both Aragorn and Gimli broke their glance, and instantly became more engrossed in their breakfasts.

  
  


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I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter, I still can't believe it, I have about 15 reviews for both these chapters. Woah, it makes me really happy. And it's good practice for my English exam, which is tomorrow, all about writing massive paragraphs of god-knows-what on films. I will LOVE that, 

  


and im happy now, don't ya just h8 peeple who ca'nt speel proprly? XD

  


I am learning!

  


R/R, please.

  


Thanks

  


~RTT

  



	4. Illah

Disclaimer: The list of things I own is getting bigger, but unfortunately, Lord of the Rings, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are not on there. Gutted. But Eveaniea is, so if you really desperately want her, then......well, give me an email. Anyways, Thank you so much Serenola Greenleaf for reading through this story for me and picking out the mistakes for me! *hugs*

  


Oh, and if anyone would like to be a beta for this story, please say, because I have a tendency to.....miss slight things. I could re-read a thousand times and still not get something. 

  


And this chapter is slightly longer. About 8 pages this time, I am doubling!!!! I just couldn't resist putting the last bit in here, XD.

  
  


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Reviewers:

  


lolly pop3: Woot! Here you go! 

  


Cayin-Moonchild- Thanks!

  


Boromir: Hehe! Thanking you for the review

  


Sweet-Legolas- Hehe this is longer, well........hopefully enough for you :p

  


Elerrina Rose- Hehe, you should watch out for Gimli and Legolas fighting over a girl then, LOL.

  


Night Ryder- Both of them are updated. And yeah, sorry, no-one seems interested in ItD...... Im writing 3 or 4 fics at the same time now, and it's a lot of work :S

  


legolasluver1437: Updated, guilty as charged :P

  


Serenola- looooooong review, thanks for the time, and the resources u pointed me to :)

  
  


KT- thanks 

  


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Eveaniea frowned when she looked up from her soup to see both Aragorn and Gimli watching her curiously as they ate their own breakfast. She didn't like being watched, least of all by a man and a Dwarf, and she nervously looked away, engrossing herself in her food. Although she was starving, she ate slowly, taking, dainty sips of soup. Legolas was watching her, smiling as he slowly ate his own breakfast.

  


~"If you want another bowl, I suggest you finish that one fast,"~ he smiled, ~"I see that Gimli is already on his third, and Aragorn on his second,"~ she looked down at her nearly full bowl.

  


~"I think this will be enough,"~ she said, ~"But thank you anyway,"~ She looked over to the man and Dwarf again, but the two of them were too busy eating to look at her now. She looked up uncertainly as Legolas got up, and went over to the two of them, and watched him talk to them for a moment, before he came back. Upon sitting down, he put a thick piece of bread on her knee.

She looked at him, surprised, and opened her mouth to say something, but he spoke first.

  


~"You look hungry,"~ he said, frowning slightly, ~"Eat that as well, if you will not have more soup, it will not do for you to be hungry all day, we will not stop for awhile,"~ he added gently. She nodded, picking at the bread, eating it slowly as well. 

  


~"Thank you,"~ she said gratefully, ~"I owe you a lot,"~

  


~"You owe me nothing,"~ he replied, ~"but I would like it if you would at least meet my friends, I will promise you that they will do no harm to you,"~ She looked at him, unsure whether she could force herself to do it or not.

  


~"You do not have to, I will not force you to, but it will make travelling easier on you,"~ he said, and she nodded understandingly.

  


~"You have been true to your word , and have not done anything to make me think I shouldn't trust you, so I will talk to your friends,"~ she said, despite her fear of the man. Quickly devouring the rest of the bread as he went to the other two of the group, she started on the soup, finally fulfilling her hunger. She watched him talk to the other two, picking up their conversation from where she was sitting. She smiled as she thought of the Male elf. He had been so kind to her from the second he had sat by her, and every time he had done something she did not like, he would apologize. She had never been around a male who would request her permission before laying a hand on her, but at this time, she appreciated it immensely. And last night when he had hugged her, she could tell that if, at any moment she wanted to draw away, he would have let her. It made her feel incredibly safe in his presence, and she was growing to like him. He was one of the best friends she had ever had without a doubt, and she couldn't help but think that he would make the perfect husband. She sighed as she thought about this, an odd smile crossed her face. It was then that Legolas came over to her, and she quickly put her empty bowl down. A small look of concern came over his face as he saw the food had disappeared so quickly, but he said nothing on the subject.

  


"You are ready to come over?" he asked instead, and she nodded a little, taking his hand, and he pulled her up. She knew he could sense her reluctancy to meet the Human and the Dwarf, and he slid an arm around her waist. Eveaniea looked up at him, puzzled over his antics, but she said nothing. If anything, the hold made her feel protected, and at the moment, she appreciated it immensely. 

  


"You will be okay," he said reassuringly, "Aragorn is the King of men. It is unlikely he will do anything to you. ~He has a wife for that,"~ Eveaniea looked at him in shock, but saw an amused look on his face. Upon reaching the fire, she felt Legolas' arm move from her side, and she sat down, unable to keep herself from trembling slightly as they looked her over.

  


"Aragorn, Gimli, this is Eveaniea," Legolas said to the pair, and she felt a little more at ease. He was sitting right beside her. She flinched when she felt Aragorn take her hand, and she scrambled away from him, into Legolas' lap, where the Elf secured his arms around her. The human pressed forward, and took her hand, gently, and place a kiss upon it.

  


"It is nice to meet you, finally, Eveaniea," he smiled kindly, and she blushed a little, feeling herself relax instantly. Gimli moved over as well.

  


"Ah, so you're the pretty little she-elf that Legolas has taken quite a liking to," he said cheerfully, "You should consider yourself lucky, he doesn't often have a lot to do with the females,"

  


She couldn't help but blush more, and she half hid her head in the Elf's shoulder, but she realised it was impossible to be scared of the Dwarf.

  


"You don't need to have any fear of Gimli," Legolas retorted, saying just loud enough for his companion to hear him, "He is completely harmless," She couldn't help but laugh as she heard Gimli splutter at these words, and also heard Aragorn chuckle softly.

  


"I am sure he is harmless," she smiled, looking up at Legolas, "but at least he isn't my seat," 

  


"But I would gladly take that offer," Gimli smiled, "Ye'r a pretty one, you got lucky this time crazy elf," 

  


"Trust you two to fight over a girl," Aragorn teased, "Gimli, I thought you liked Lady Galadriel," he raised an eyebrow. She could have sworn his cheeks turned pink at this, but she could have been mistaken. A Dwarf! Liking an Elf- especially the lady of the Golden Forest. She had never heard of it before, and it both astonished and amused her immensely. Legolas certainly did keep an odd company of friends around him, but they seemed a good combination, even though they were an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Man. She was, nonetheless shocked at the way they were talking about her so openly. Not only did it make her embarrassed, but it was almost offending. Never had she heard such a thing- yet it almost made her feel at ease.

  


~"Do not worry about what they say,"~ She heard Legolas whisper quietly in her ear, and she shivered slightly, ~"They are just trying to be friendly,"~ She smiled up at him.

  


~"I do not take any offence,"~ She said, ~"It is quite amusing,"~ He smiled back at her, and Gimli coughed, a little too loud, and definitely on purpose, drawing the attention of the two Elves back to them. Aragorn gave him a warning look, but said nothing of the subject. Instead he brought up their travel plans.

  


"Eveaniea, we plan to travel to Rivendell, and stay there for a short time, and then travel to Gondor. While you are most welcome to come to either place, or stay put in Rivendell, it is your choice. Unless you came from another settlement?" he asked.

  


"No, I will come with you to Rivendell, and see if my mother and father are there," she said, "If they are not, then they will most probably have stayed in Gondor. They were going to marry me there, to some Elf who had taken up residence there, but now I am not sure," she said, "That is, if you do not mind. I do not wish to be a burden.

  


"You are no burden to us," Aragorn said, his eyes fixing cautiously on Legolas, "You are most welcome to travel with us, I would rather you be safe than with whoever it was that was not treating you with the respect you deserve," He smiled at her.

  


"Thank you," Eveaniea replied softly, "I do appreciate your help,"

  


"I think we should pack up the camp now," Legolas said, "the sooner we move on, the sooner we get to Rivendell, and you can search out your family," he let go of her reluctantly, and she got up, brushing her torn dress down.

  


"I will get you some clothes to wear," he smiled, "Ones that will make it easier to travel in," 

Not knowing what to say, she followed him, and he handed her the clothes, ~"You may find somewhere in the surrounding bushes to change, but do not stray too far, stay close enough so I can hear you if we have any trouble, I would not want you to be harmed,"~

  


~"Thank you,"~ she nodded, and disappeared, leaving Legolas to pack. 

  


***************************************************************************

  


Meanwhile Aragorn was discreetly watching his friend, not wanting the elf to realise. He frowned slightly, thinking about what Gimli had said to him earlier. The Dwarf had been right. The way the two Elves had been acting, he thought that Legolas may want to stay in Rivendell with Eveaniea, if she found her kin there. He did not want to be sad at the thought, he knew Legolas had every right to be happy, and that he should have settled down a long time ago with a female elf, yet he would lose his friend and companion once more. He mentally cursed his jealousy, and forced himself to think straight. It was not fair to ask Legolas to leave her just to travel with him, he had no right, and it might just be him imagining things. It was then that he saw the male elf approach him and Gimli, who was near him.

  


"I would appreciate, Master Dwarf, that you would not vocally express to Eveaniea that I have feelings other than friendship for her, even if it is true," he said, almost coldly, his tone shocking both himself and Gimli, "I can do that for myself," and he turned and left, leaving the pair of them awestruck. Neither of them had ever head Legolas sound so angry with them, even at Helm's Deep, and they looked at each other, confused. Normally he would laugh something like that off, if anything.

  


"I really do think that Legolas likes her Gimli," Aragorn said softly, "Just leave him be for the moment, he will settle down again," 

Gimli frowned slightly, but did not stop packing his things, and he rolled up his bed tightly, binding it to stay on his back.

  


"Elves," he heard the Dwarf curse under his breath.

  
  


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Eveaniea quickly slipped the shirt over her dress, then slid the ripped fabric over her arms beneath it, and slid it down. She did the same with the breeches, pulling them up under her dress, sliding the well-used dress off, and kicking it into the bushes. She then smoothed down the shirt, and tucked it in, before sliding a tunic over the top, and cinching it around her waist with a thick silver cord. She lightly pulled her hair back, and looked at the clothes she was wearing. They must have been expensive, she thought, and they were a little too big for her, but they were much better than her dress, and she was thankful. She headed back to the camp, only to hear Legolas say something angrily, but she was too far away to hear what it was. She flinched, but when she approached him, he looked calm, and friendly as he ever did when she saw him. When he saw her, he approached her, looking at what she was wearing.

  


"You look much better," he smiled, carefully fixing what she was wearing, pulling the tunic down slightly, and tying it round her waist more securely. She sat still, and to her relief, she was able to stop herself from pulling away from him. "Would you like me to fix your hair a little to keep it from your face?" He asked

  


"That would be good," she laughed, and he went behind her, taking a few strands of her hair, braiding it, and fastening it behind her ear. He went to her other side, and did the same, and then stood back a little.

  


"Thank you," she smiled, "I was never good at braiding my own hair," 

  


"Your welcome," he laughed, "Either that or I could get Gimli to do it for you," 

  


"I would much rather you do it," she retorted, and helped him pack, by collecting up the blankets from the bed she had slept in the night before, folding them up, and passing them to him. Then she rolled the bed up, and bound it as he collected the last of his items. 

  


"Can you use a weapon?" he asked, holding out a bow to her. She looked alarmed, and shook her head, taking it from him, and looking it over.

  


"Of course not!" she exclaimed, "I would probably kill you with that," he smiled a little.

  


"Then when we stop tonight, I will teach you to use it," he said, "I have a spare one, it comes in useful sometimes," 

  


"That might be fun," she admitted, looking at the bow wearily, as Aragorn and Gimli approached them, "Are we leaving now?" She asked.

  


"It seems so," Legolas replied.

  


"Let us be off," Aragorn said, having extinguished all signs of a camp, "We will have to find somewhere to stay tonight,"

  


With that, the little group took off, readying themselves for a full day of travelling on foot.

  
  
  


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Legolas walked a little away from Gimli and Aragorn, staying close to Eveaniea, but not close enough for his liking. He frowned at the Dwarf in front of him, sure he was a good friend at the best of times, but at the worst, the Dwarf could be more lucid than he would have liked. He sighed, and looked the female Elf over, before he caught himself. 'Stop it', he thought to himself, 'she will barely let me touch her, there is no way she would possibly want to be more than friends'. He frowned inwardly, that last thought had hurt him more than he wanted to think about. Shaking his head, he looked over at the Elven female, who was staring at him, a concerned look on her face.

  


~"Legolas, are you okay?"~ she asked softly, in a worried tone, causing him to touch back down to earth. 

  


~"I am sorry, I was just thinking,"~ he said gently, forcing a smile on his somewhat blank face.

  


~"I heard you before, you sounded angry at something. Was it something I did?,"~ She whispered, looking slightly scared, and shy. He was blank for a moment, thinking when she might have heard him yell, and he saw her tense a little when he didn't say anything. Then he remembered when he had told Gimli about......her. He gasped slightly in realisation.

  


~ "Nay, it was not about you,"~ he lied, ~"We were merely talking about a battle we were at in Helm's Deep,"~. He saw the relieved look on her face, and felt guilty. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Eveaniea wasn't like the other females he had met, although she now felt more at ease around Aragorn and Gimli, he was the sole person she truly trusted- he could not distance himself from her, it would not be fair. He knew what she had gone through at the hands of the men, and he was surprised she had survived for so long. Even though she was now safe, she would have to live with it for the rest of her life, which he imagined would be horrible. 

  


~"I shouldn't have pried,"~ she apologised, ~"it is not my business,"~

  


~"You are my friend,"~ Legolas assured her, ~"I do not mind,"~ He could have sworn he had paused at the word friend, and he mentally kicked himself for it. He was thankful for the ability to keep a straight face in such a moment, and he decided to check himself more carefully next time.

He saw her nod in reply, and he smiled. At least she was talking to him, he would have hated it if she flat out ignored him, or extremely disliked him. With that last thought, he felt his mind ease slightly, and he felt a little better.

  
  


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Eveaniea watched Legolas intently. For the whole time they had been travelling, he had barely uttered a word to either her or the Human and the Dwarf, which she found odd. He had a look of deep concentration set upon his face once more, and it was then she knew for sure there was something weighing heavy on his mind. She knew he had repeatedly told her that she was no trouble, but even so, she still felt out of place, and it made her sad. She liked Legolas a lot, he had been so kind and tolerant to her, and she wondered absently for a moment if he had family.

  


~"Legolas?" she asked hesitantly, not wishing to bother him, yet he focussed his attention on her, as if he was doing nothing important.

  


~"You are alright?"~ he asked softly.

  


~"I'm fine,"~ she said, ~"I just wanted to ask, you sound like you travel a lot. Do you not miss your family?"~ She looked at the ground, wondering whether she should ask if he had a wife or not. 'Of course he does,' she cursed herself, 'he is by far the most handsome elf I have seen, he must have at least a wife,'

  


~"Of course I miss my father,"~ he replied, ~"But he does not always have a lot of free time, so I am able to keep myself busy, and not feel too guilty,"~ 

  


~"Don't you have a wife? You must, and a child or two,"~ she said, astounded. He shook his head, smiling in amusement.

  


~"No, I have not yet taken a wife,"~ he said, his eyes sparkling, ~"You must have heard what Master Gimli said about me not keeping good company with females,"~

  


~"But...."~ she stuttered, almost speechless, ~"How can you not keep good company with females, you are one of the kindest, gentlest male elves I have met, anyone female elf would be honoured to have a mate with such qualities,"~ she studied his face intently, unable to read it, but she noticed he blushed slightly at her comment.

  


~"I am not lying to you,"~ he said steadily, ~"But I thank you for the compliment, you are quite beautiful yourself, I would think the same of you,"~ this time he definitely blushed, and she ducked her head, slightly embarrassed.

  


~"No-one will ever want me,"~ she sighed sadly, unable to look at him, ~"Not after what the men did to me,"~

  


*********

  
  


~"No-one will ever want me, not after what the men did to me"~

  


He heard her say these words, sadly, and she sighed. She had not looked up at him as she said this, but had she dared to, she would have seen his eyes, and it would have given him away.

  


'But I do,' he thought to himself sadly, 'I would not care what had happened,'

  


~"You are wrong there,"~ he said instead, ~"I can think of at least five elves I know who would love you more than anything, regardless of what had happened to you, and still feel lucky,"~

He felt worse as he said that, but the look on her face was worth it. 

  


~"Really?"~ she asked, her spirits lifting a little at this, but then she looked doubtful.

  


~"Like who?"~ she asked cautiously. Legolas paused for a moment, and she frowned a little. 

  


~"..................Like me,"~ he said hesitantly, and looked at the floor of the forest, not daring to look up at Eveaniea, nor to see her reaction.

  
  


**********

  


The female elf's eyes widened as he said this, and she looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't mean it, 'he must be lying' she thought. Yet he refused to look at her, and looked somewhat ashamed of himself, surely he would not react in such a manner if he was lying. She didn't know what to think, or to say to him.

  


~"Forgive me,"~ he said softly, unsure of himself, ~"I hope that I have not ruined our friendship,"~

She frowned as she noticed he moved a little further away from her, still not looking her in the eye. She contemplated the situation momentarily, before she shyly walked in front of him, halting his movements, and tilting his head up, so he could not avoid her gaze.

~"Did you really mean what you said?"~ she asked quietly, not wanting to believe it.

~"Of course I do,"~ he replied, his gaze softening, and she quickly checked where Aragorn and Gimli were.

~"You deserve someone much better,"~ she murmured in a soft voice.

~"No I don't,"~ he slid his arms around her waist, and kissed her gently, cautiously at first, as not to frighten her. Eveaniea's eyes widened, but she relaxed immediately in his hold .When they broke apart a few seconds later, he held her against him for a moment, and she clung to him tightly.

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And no, the story hasn't finished yet, k guys, XD

Hope you liked. R/R please

~RTT


	5. Room to breathe

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. I wish I did, I would very muchly like to, but unfortunately I do not, so life's a bitch, huh? None of this is of profit to me. I do, however, own Eveaniea, though, and my ideas..LOL

  


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Reviews: Im not going to personally point out every review I received at the end of last chapter, but I will say I was totally and utterly shocked to see 14 new reviews from it! I fell off my chair!!! Oh man. I even drew a pic which describes the look on my face, LOL. 14 reviews in one go! It is an all time record for anything I have ever written! Thank you so much guys!.

  


Just a few things.

Im trying to keep them all relatively IC, so no, Legolas will not ditch his friends, he will just spend a little less time with them.

  


Did Gimli see the kiss? ;) read and find out, XD 

  


Story is called S.U.I.T, standing for So Us is This. Doesn't allow dots in the title, so it will be called 

So Us Is This. Named after my favourite NZ band called Blindspott, as are all my chapters. 

  


And there WILL be some action. Im just taking my time getting to it. This is really just a fill in chapter before the storm, next chapter will be LONG. Long as I can get it. Which will hopefully make up for the shortness. My last Exam is tomorrow, so I will try update all my stories.

  


Oh, and when Gimli hears Eveaniea and Legolas speaking Elvish, I am NOT translating it, because generally it is his POV, and he would not understand. If it is vital, they will explain.

  


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Gimli walked with Aragorn, as he had not spoken to Legolas since the Elf's outburst earlier that morning. It unnerved him that the Elves were behind him, but he could not hear their silent footsteps, nor understand their almost silent speech. He had become somewhat less talkative to even Aragorn, and the Dwarf and Human travelled in complete silence. He absently hummed to himself, an old Dwarfish ballad about his forefathers, and wished that he had a pint to lighten the mood. Such behaviour had not been ruled out of him, even in his travels. When he tired of his song, he turned to see how Legolas and Eveaniea were faring, but what he saw only plastered a large, smug grin upon his weathered face. Legolas was holding the female elf with his arms loosely wrapped around her middle, and was locked in a kiss with her, seemingly oblivious to his male companions. He turned back to his path in both shock and amusement, pondering whether he should tell Aragorn or not. In the end he decided against it. Aragorn seemed to want to leave his elven friend alone, and would probably not approve of his eavesdropping. And in any case, both elves would hear what he was saying. Not a good idea.

Still curious, Gimli looked back again, but this time the pair were walking steadily after their companions, a little closer than normal, he noticed Eveaniea almost leaned into Legolas, whose hand lingered just over an inch away from hers, but their actions were not enough to rise suspicion to Aragorn. For all the human would know, Legolas was simply comforting her from a scare, or consoling her, listening to her. Gimli sighed. He frowned as he picked up some of their conversation, as he was now closer to them than the King.

"Vanimle sila tiri, lirimaea, " he heard Legolas say softly to her, and she smiled a little, seemingly in shyness.

"Diola lle, oio naa elealla alasse'," she replied in the same soft voice.

"Amin mela lle," Legolas murmured, then looked up, seemingly for the first time seeing his friend, and he smiled at his presence.

"Master Gimli," he acknowledged, "how do you fare?" 

"I fare just fine Master Elf," he smiled, "I am glad that at least for today we are not running in pursuit of some dark beast," This drew a laugh from both of the elves, and he settled into stride beside Legolas for the rest of the day, his spirit considerably lightened with the more friendly conversation.

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Aragorn led the small party through the winding of the forest all day, seeming hesitant to slow their already slow pace, even as the sun started to go down, and their surroundings grew dimmer. He trudged on, ignoring his tiring companions as he walked ahead of them. Although Legolas was perfectly suited to continue all through the night, as was his human friend, Gimli and Eveaniea were rapidly tiring, but each had their pride, and would not say a word. It was only when the hour grew even later that Eveaniea started to fall behind, still not completely 100 percent. Legolas paused to wait for her, and Gimli, who was also exhausted, welcomed the pause. When Aragorn did not stop to wait for them, and disappeared ahead of them, the male elf picked her up carefully, resorting to carrying her. She was too tired to protest, and welcomed the rest, lying tiredly against his chest. He then frowned and he and Gimli made their way after Aragorn, finally managing to catch up with their leader.

"Aragorn," Legolas called out to him, "Dolle naa lost, Manke naa lee autien?" 

The human turned to him, frowning slightly at the elf for questioning him, and paused momentarily to reply.

"Dina, khila amin," He stated, before moving on again.

"Daro!" Legolas said, slightly angry, a tone of disbelief in his voice. Gimli quickly cut him off before he could say anymore. Aragorn stopped once more, and turned to face the group.

"We tire Aragorn," Gimli said, "We have been travelling all day, we must rest."

"It is not safe to do so here," Aragorn said, overruling the dwarf, "We must find somewhere to make camp before we can rest."

Legolas shot Gimli an admiring look as he started to walk again, surprised by the Dwarf admitting his fatigue. He would have thought the stout creature too proud to admit such a thing, and smiled to himself in amusement.

"Well said, stupid dwarf," he teased, and Gimli seemed to regain his energy as he went to chase the elf.

"You will not get away with that so easily, crazy elf," he grinned, and playfully swinging his axe, which his friend dodged easily. Then he mock frowned, and pretended he was angry for missing, all of which Eveaniea watched with wide eyes.

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Later that night, when the sun had completely disappeared, and the moon was glittering at the top of the sky, lighting the track through the forest, Legolas was relieved when Aragorn had called them to make camp in a small clearing. He looked down at the she-elf he was still carrying, seeing she was fast asleep, a peaceful expression on her face. Gimli sat down very quickly, leaning against a tree for support. Although the Dwarf did not like to admit it, he was tired and out of breath, completely drained from their days exertions. He carefully shifted Eveaniea, sitting down himself, and dropping his packs. Then he drew his cloak off, carefully laying her on it while he set out a bed for her. She barely stirred, but when he turned around, he saw she was sitting, watching him. He motioned to the bed, patting it gently, and she smiled tiredly.

~"You should get some rest,"~ he suggested, ~"You are tired. We will stay put tomorrow, and leave in the night, as it is relatively safe where we are now."~ She nodded tiredly, and crawled over to him, kissing him quickly and shyly on the cheek before she pulled back the blankets, and lay down. 

~"Goodnight,"~ she whispered as he pulled the blankets up over her, and he kissed her forehead.

~"Sleep well,"~ he smiled, and he watched her retreat into a slumber, sitting next to her. He mentally pulled himself away, turning to look at Gimli, who looked to be pretending to sleep against the tree. He got up, and decided to join his companion, amused with the Dwarf.

"Gimli, you look tired, would you like me to ready your bed for you?" he smiled, not hearing a reply. So he was pretending to sleep. As quietly as he could, he moved one hand to cover the Dwarf's nose, and the other to his mouth. He then pinched his friend's nose shut, and clamped his hand over his mouth in an instant. Gimli jumped from fright, and spluttered, jerking away from Legolas, and hitting his head on the tree, which he swore he heard groan in protest. The elf heard him speak in Dwarfish, and although he understood none of it, from the tone Gimli was using, he guessed every word.

"Legolas, what are you DOING?" he demanded, taking his helmet off and rubbing his head. 

"You are not angry, so don't pretend to be," the elf replied somewhat cheerily, "You were not asleep, I did not recall you snoring,"

"Alright," Gimli said, "I was not asleep," he said, then he smiled somewhat evilly. 

"You seem to be getting closer to yer lass," he grinned, "I saw you two today, when we were travelling."

Legolas looked at Gimli, too shocked to speak, and unable to react to the comment from the Dwarf. Gimli only laughed at him, knowing if it was anything but the truth, the elf would be set to lie to him convincingly. Aragorn entered the clearing once more, looking at the pair sitting together.

"You saw what, Gimli?" he asked, oblivious to his friends conversation.

"Legolas and the she-elf," he smiled, "I saw them behind us when we were walking earlier on today, looking quite..........friendly."

Aragorn looked from Gimli, to Legolas, who, although his face was blank, was glaring at the Dwarf. Legolas smiled inwardly as he saw Aragorn look worried, like he should have kept his questions to himself, to keep the second war of middle earth in that century from happening, but he couldn't help feeling like throttling Gimli. Instead he was amused to see Aragorn completely change his expression, and raise his eyebrow.

"Gimli," he said, "Now that you have shared some of Legolas' news with us, should we share a little of your secrets with him?" Legolas saw that the Dwarf was momentarily confused.

"Im not sure he would _want_ to know some of my secrets, Aragorn, they might hurt his ears," he said, and Legolas smirked.

"Im not talking about women, Master Dwarf, I am talking about Helm's Deep, a certain incident you would rather not have shared with the 'elf' we are talking about," Aragorn grinned, and Gimli looked at him in horror.

"You wouldn't," he said, eyes wide.

"Ah, what was that?" Aragorn pretended to ponder, "Oh yes, when I had to throw you over to the bridge because you could not jump it?" he smiled, and Gimli hurriedly got to his feet.

"I think I need to empty my bladder," he announced, and grabbed his axe. Then he was gone, leaving Aragorn and Legolas alone, the human smiling.

"Do you really like Eveaniea?" he asked carefully, and Legolas sighed, unable to stop himself from laughing as he heard a clatter of armour and the loud cursing's of their dwarf.

"Yes," he said evenly, "I believe I do, very much so," he answered, "I swear that dwarf is more vigilant than an elf sometimes," he saw Aragorn grin recklessly.

"Gimli is just jealous," the human replied, "but deep down he is happy for you, as am I."

"Maybe I will set out his bed for him after all," Legolas remarked, getting up as he heard the Dwarf coming back, "Will you be alright for the night watch?" 

"I will be alright," Aragorn nodded, getting up"You take my bedroll, I will not need it till the morning,"

"Thank you," Legolas said, "I could sleep on the ground, but that would just not be the same," he laughed, and Aragorn threw it at him, hoping to hit him, but the elf was too fast for him, and had caught it quickly.

"Now I must get up to watch," the human yawned, and stretched, getting up. Legolas did the same, except for yawning, grabbing the bedroll and taking it to where Eveaniea slept soundly, having not even woken from Gimli fossicking through the surrounding forest. He quietly set up his bed next to her, and pulled his cloak tightly around him. It wasn't cold, and even if it was, he wouldn't have felt it, but he felt more comfortable with it. Sighing as he lay down, he rolled onto his side, and watched the female elf sleep next to him, studying her pale face. She moved, kicking her blankets partially off her, sighing softly, and rolling onto her side. Seeing she was still asleep, he started to prepare himself to sleep. It was only when he had started to drift off that he heard her soft voice.

"Legolas?" she said quietly, "Is that you?" He heard her voice quiver slightly.

~"It is only me,"~ he replied, ~"How long have you been awake?"~ 

~"Not long,"~ she whispered, more relaxed, and he shifted slightly closer to her, so he was lying next to her, on his back.. She gingerly cuddled up beside him, and lay her head on his shoulder, making him smile. 

~"You don't mind....."~ she started, and he tightened his arm around her waist protectively, after pulling the blankets to cover them both. 

~"Of course I do not," Legolas cut her off, ~"You are not moving from where you are,"~ he chuckled softly, and shifted slightly to kiss her forehead. He felt her relax completely, sliding her arm from his stomach to his chest, resting it over his heart. Legolas calmed himself, and slowed his breathing, setting himself to rest. He heard Eveaniea do the same, and within minutes, the pair were gone, both withdrawn into their slumber.

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Eveaniea sat next to Legolas as he slept into the morning, keeping an eye out on the camp, and absently running her hands over the bow that had been lying next to the male elf's side. When she had woken, she had carefully moved from Legolas' arms, and seen Aragorn still on watch, looking exhausted. Even though she did not like him the most out of her new companions, he had been kind to her, along with the other two, and she felt she owed it to him to let him get some rest. He had obliged, and she had shifted the bed she had slept in the night before, which he almost fell into. She noticed he had fallen asleep almost immediately, but could not bring herself to cover him up, even though she knew that humans got cold much easier than elves.

She was relieved when Legolas slowly sat up, his eyes focussing on her slowly, and a small smile coming to his face. He leaned over his human friend, and carefully pulled the blankets up to cover him, and then getting up himself.

~"Good morning,"~ he greeted her, hugging her carefully. 

~"I suppose we should prepare some breakfast for Aragorn and Gimli, when they wake,"~ she said as she hugged him back tightly. He kissed her forehead before he drew away, and led her to the fireplace Aragorn had set up the night before. 

~"Of course,"~ he said reluctantly, ~"Then I will teach you how to use a bow," She nodded as she watched him take a piece of flint, and smash it against a rock, until it sparked, and a small flame started to grow in the fire pit. Then he went to the packs, and took some food from them, setting it out in front of him, looking as if he was not entirely sure what he was going to do with it. Smiling in amusement, Eveaniea sat beside him, and looked over what food he had. 

~"I think I will make breakfast,"~ she laughed quietly, and noted the slight look of relief on his face.

~"Then I will ready a bow and some arrows for you to practice with,"~ he replied, getting up noiselessly.

~"I will call you when I am done,"~ she nodded, and turned back to the fire, barely hearing him leave.

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Right. Apologies again for the shortness, but there will be some serious action next chapter, so hopefully that will make up for it. And sorry about the delay.

Thanks

R/R

~RTT


	6. Fall Down

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR, I don't think I do, and yes, we all know I would like to. I own Eveaniea, and the plot, but that is all. ^^

  
  


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Reviewers: 

  


Hehe, I drew a pic which just about sums up the expression on my face. 52 Reviews, and I have only done 5 chapters. Im not even started! Hehe, im just warming up! 0_o there must be something wrong with you all, but I love you all the same!!!! * hands out candy and ice cream*

  


  
  


Nessa- hmmmm......it could be. I don't know, ;) but I don't think so. Legolas is coming from Mirkwood :S. Hehe, glad to hear im keeping you on your toes though! Just wait and everything will get explained, slowly.

  


Serenola- HOW COULD I FORGET YOU!!!!! u da man! LOL. Hehe, u love this chapter! Thanks *blushes* hope you like this chapter too

  


Diamondtook- It is set after the war of the Ring. Im kinda getting stumped because this was written with no intention of going this far, I never thought it would be so popular. But Im referring to the books so I will try be in as much detail as possible. Aragorn is King.

  


Oh, yes, and I know I have made some mistakes, but laugh at me. I can't really change them now, but yeah....refer to the thing I wrote for Diamondtook- Im just gonna attempt to dig myself out the best I can, so bear with me. I am aware NOW that Elves die of broken hearts if they are raped, but im trying to amend for it guys, I didn't realise that when I started. :S.

  


Kawaii Elf Girl- Woot. Sorry u had to look it up- I added translations at the bottom of this one, but as I said, Gimli would not have known what they were saying so I didn't put it in. And I forgot I had the other stuff *oops* hehe, hope you like this chapter. I made it as long as I could without it running into my next chapter. 

  
  


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Tried to make this chapter longer, and less big spaces, it's about 10-11 pages long, so hopefully it will start to satisfy you guys :P . Thanks for your support.

  
  


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Later that day, Legolas lead Eveaniea to a small section of the trees away from the camp, which was clear enough to be able to see through the scrub. He then paused, and looked around. The small clearing they were in was perfect to teach her how to shoot a bow. He slid both the bows down his arm, and took his, handing the spare one to the female elf, smiling as she looked over it, completely awestruck. He then took an arrow from his quiver, and notched his bow, looking for a target, his sharp eyes picking out a dead tree that was still standing upright, and he loosened the arrow, where it thudded into the wood. In another swift movement, he let another arrow fly, and it struck the first dead centre, splitting the wood clean in half. He watched Eveaniea walk up to it, and examine the wood, then she looked at him goggle eyed, her mouth open in awe.

  


~"Now you try,"~ he smiled, handing her an arrow, which she took nervously, and looked over carefully, before notching it to the string, and drawing it back. When she let go, it flew, but missed the target by miles. Legolas saw her looking at him sheepishly, he laughed softly, and took another arrow.

  


~"Here, I will help you,"~ he said, handing it to her. He moved her footing, and her hand, placing his over hers to keep it steady as she put the arrow to the string. Then he stood behind her, and as she notched the arrow to the string, he changed her grip on it, and lowered his head so he could see her line of vison. 

  


~"Right,"~ he moved away from her once he had finished, ~"Let the arrow go,"~ He stood back to watch.

  


~"Okay,"~ she replied, deep in concentration. She let it go, where it hit the wood next to the one he had shot, and she smiled. The male elf collected a quiver he had also kept with his bow, and approached her, handing it to her.

  


~"These are yours now,"~ he said gently, helping her strap the quiver on.

  


~"I can't take these,"~ she protested, ~"They are yours."~

  


~"Then I gift them to you, I trust you to use them well. I do not wish to hear anymore about it,"~ he said firmly, ~"Now try hit that target again,"~

  


He saw her nod, and take an arrow, releasing it to hit the dead tree again, and he settled down to watch her practice, every ounce of determination she had was displayed on her face, and she never once missed her target. His smile widened as she hit one of her previous shots, and the arrow split, and he stood up, making a move to retrieve the arrows. 

  


~"That was good, if you have never used a bow before, then you would have to be a natural,"~ he commented, pulling them out one by one.

  


~"Thank you,"~ she smiled, ~"You are very skilled yourself, I have never seen such a good bowman,"~ she went to help him, taking the arrows he had already pulled out, and stacking them in her quiver. She started to pull some out herself. It was then she heard a noise, and she tensed, but relaxed when she heard muttering.

  


~"It's Gimli,"~ Legolas hissed, smiling, ~"Follow me,"~

  


He stood up, leading her silently to a patch of bushes, where he crouched low, not moving. He watched Eveaniea do the same, then he brought his finger to his lips in a gesture to be silent.

  


~"He needs a little wake up call,"~ he explained quickly, ~"he is looking for us, he thinks we are doing something other than practising shooting,"~ He winked as he notched his bow and when Gimli walked in front of the target, and let it go, right in front of the Dwarf, catching one of his braids, hammering it into the tree. Surprised, the Dwarf flung a small axe made for throwing at the trees. Legolas saw it, and dived at Eveaniea before either of them were hit. He landed on top of her, and looked at the axe that lay embedded in the ground.

  


~"Master Gimli does not know how to control his shots,"~ he whispered in her ear, then looked up when he heard the dwarf crashing through the bush towards them. Before Legolas could move, Gimli saw them, and a slightly amused smile across his face, half his braid had been cut off. He quickly climbed up, and Eveaniea slid out from under him, not able to look at the Dwarf.

  


"Well well well," Gimli smirked playfully, "If you wanted some privacy, then all you had to do was ask,"

  


"We were not doing anything, Master Dwarf," Legolas frowned at Gimli, "I was simply teaching her how to shoot a bow," Gimli looked unconvinced, and rolled his eyes.

  


"Of course you were," he grinned, "I will leave you to it then," he turned and left, before either of the elves could say anything to stop him. Legolas sighed, and looked awkwardly at Eveaniea, who looked equally as awkward.

  


~"I am sorry for my friend,"~ Legolas apologized, helping her up, ~"he is not of a subtle personality,"~

  


~"I do not blame you,"~ she smiled, looking relieved, taking his hand, ~"Maybe we should head back to camp now, before he finds anything else to accuse us of,"~

  


~"That is a good idea,"~ he agreed, ~"Lets go,"~ he picked up his bow, and his arrows which had fallen from the quiver, and she did the same, carefully shouldering the bow, as he did. When they were ready, they headed back to camp. He was holding her hand, when suddenly he heard something, and tensed, listening carefully. He saw the female elf looking at him curiously, but he ignored her momentarily. The sounds were coming from their camp- it didn't sound good. Her hand slid away from his, and he paced a few steps, pausing once again. He heard steel smash against steel, and he frowned, concerned.

  


~"What is wrong?"~ Eveaniea asked, looking slightly frightened, her eyes concerned.

  


~"We are being attacked,"~ he said quietly, ~"Stay here, and hide, I have to help Aragorn and Gimli,"~ he saw her frown,

  


~"I can help,"~ she protested, but he cut her off.

  


~"I do not want you to be hurt,"~ he said gently, ~"I will come and find you when it is over," he kissed her quickly, and hugged her.

  


~"please?"~ he asked desperately.

  


~"Alright,"~ she said reluctantly, and hugged him back. Then he pulled away, and he left, heading towards the clearing.

  
  


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Eveaniea frowned as Legolas left, wanting to follow him, and make sure nothing happened, but she knew what she had seen in the clearing. He was more than capable of taking care of himself. But it didn't stop her from worrying. She climbed up a tree, and edged closer to the clearing, so she could see what was happening, quietly pushing the leaves aside, and peering through. She nearly fell from fright when she saw that more than a dozen men were pouring into the clearing, weapons drawn, and she heard a yell.

  


"It is them, they attacked us and took the girl slave," she recognised one of the men, and her heart sunk to her feet. Then he was silenced, and she recognized one of Legolas' arrows in his throat, and he fell to the ground with a sickening gurgle. She watched Gimli being attacked by several of them, hacking wildly with his Axe. He seemed to be faring well, knocking them over before felling them. Aragorn was desperately trying to defend himself, after being unable to reason with them. One of them smashed him to the ground, and stood on his throat. Gimli froze when he saw this, being knocked over also, as did Legolas, but as one of the men went to strike him, he deftly blocked them, and remained on his feet, tensed and ready to fight. Then all the men turned to the man standing over Aragorn.

  


"Where is the she-elf?" he demanded roughly, letting his boot up a little. She saw Aragorn wince, and all of a sudden, she wanted to forfeit herself so they would leave her new friends alone.

  


"There is no she-elf," Aragorn snarled, trying to push himself up. She saw Legolas lunge to attack the man pinning Aragorn to the ground, before the men around him distracted him once more, grabbing his arms, holding him back, despite his struggles. A knife was drawn to Aragorn and Legolas' throats. Then she decided what she was going to do. Finding a good enough position, she pulled two arrows from her quiver, and paused for a moment. Then she drew an arrow, and deftly shot down one of the men who had a grip on Legolas' arm, and then before anyone could move, she shot the man pinning Aragorn, so he yelped. Both the elf and the man took the chance to get up, and Legolas had cut down a man before the shock could register. Gimli too was up, and back in action, and Eveaniea picked out several men from where she was perched, shooting them down one by one. Then she heard a movement behind her, and she turned. She was horrified to see one of them behind her, and crawled backwards as far as she could. When she reached the end, she jumped the only place there was to go- back on the ground. She found herself in the centre of the fight, and a rough hand grabbed her wrist. Grabbing an arrow, she gripped it tightly, and stabbed him with it, deep in his stomach, then she managed to pull it out, and used the sharp edge to cut his face. He dragged her, clutching his stomach, and she struggled wildly, trying to get away.

  


"Leave me alone!" she screamed, and hacked at him once more, digging the arrow back into him, again and again, until he let her go. Then she ran, trying to hide. She found Aragorn, who looked at her, frowning slightly, but he took a dagger from his belt, and passed it to her.

  


"Take this, you need to be able to defend yourself," he said quickly, blocking a shot, and his attention was drawn away from her once more. She took it, and hid it a little as a man once again tried to catch her. She managed to duck, and yet again, stabbed wildly at the man, but this time it did more damage, and he groaned, before she stabbed him again. When he fell to the ground, dead, she groaned. Her hands were covered in blood, and she started to cry, feeling sick. More men poured into the clearing, and Legolas cut his way through them to get to her.

  


~"What are you doing?"~ he asked quietly, looking around, ~"You have to run, go hide, anywhere, we will be okay. I will cover you,"~ 

  


she gulped, and wiped the tears from her face, and turned and ran. She was aware of footsteps behind her, but they didn't get far. She was deep in the forest before she realised she was lost, and she curled up behind a mass of rocks and started to cry once more. Then she threw up, feeling sick from her kill. She knew she had passed water somewhere, and she slowly, trembling, climbed down to try find some. She was somewhat happier to see there was some not far from where she stood, and she dropped to her knees, and washed all the blood from her hands and face. Then she took a look around at her surroundings. She couldn't hear any movements from the men- Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn must have taken care of them. She hoped that they were not hurt, or it would be all her fault. Those men were looking for her, and without them to protect her, she would be completely vulnerable to them. She sighed, climbing up the rocks again, hiding behind them, where she could see anything coming, and lay her bow down. They would never find her, she would be left alone in the forest, and she had no idea where to go. She would get lost, and starve to death, as she had no experience in the way of keeping herself alive, she had always been safe in Rivendell, and had someone to look after her. She was alone, all alone, helpless. If the men came back for her, she was dead. There was no way she could contend with their strength, they would take her back, and reclaim her. And there was nothing she could do about it. 

  


Suddenly, the steel of her knife seemed to glitter, and look more friendly to her. She shook her head to clear it, she would not fall that low. There was still hope, at least at the moment. Curling up, Eveaniea decided if the men hadn't come this way by the next morning, she would try to find Legolas and his friends.

  
  


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Legolas quickly turned to a man attempting to attack him, and before he could move, the elf had cut his throat in one swift movement. The man fell to the ground, lifeless, and his rugged clothes were soaking up blood. He wondered where all these men were from. Not Gondor, and Rohan had more honour than this. Three of them were going after Eveaniea, and he was slightly panicked, but he forced himself to calm, and drew his bow, deftly shooting each of them down in three quick shots. They all fell, and he turned to look at the fray. There were men everywhere, so he simply kept firing arrows, never missing his target, and taking them all down. He saw one coming up behind Gimli, and, moving, he shot him down too, before Gimli turned and hacked his axe into him.

  


"Damn elf," he cursed, "I almost had him!" He grinned as he watched the Dwarf charge to the next man, hitting him over the head with the flat of his axe, then landing it in his chest. Then he had problems of his own, someone charging toward him. He impaled the man on the arrow he had in his hand, and pulled it back, kicking him over, and drawing a knife, and cutting his throat. He drew the other knife, putting his bow away, and met another heavy sword blow, knocking it to the side, and sliding the handle of the blade in his palm so it was pointing towards himself, then he slammed his fist into the man's head, rendering him senseless, and cutting his face in one move. He stabbed his other blade into his stomach, and turned to the next. Luckily, there were no more men coming, and he took the chance to look around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a human beside him, and he went to attack them with his knife, but then he realised it was Aragorn. He quickly tried to deflect his blow, but he still succeeded in leaving a deep gash in the arm of his friend. Lowering his blade, he stepped back, looking at Aragorn.

  


"Im sorry," he said, feeling bad, "I did not realise......" he was numb for a moment.

  


"Legolas, it is okay," Aragorn shouted, "Turn around," 

  


The elf turned around, and he saw a group of men advancing on him, grinning evilly at him. He was cornered, and looked to his friend, to find that the King had problems of his own. All of the seven men jumped him at once, and he thrust his knife forward, killing one, using his other to deflect an attack. He pulled his blade from the stomach of the man, and slashed behind him, hearing a cry of pain. He brought both knives up above his head as one of the men went to hit him from a blow from above, meaning to kill him, and it came down, pushing him down. It took all his strength to keep the man from knocking him to the ground. It was at that moment, he felt a white hot pain from his right side of his lower back, to his shoulder. He weakened slightly, the sword above him forcing him to his knees. He ducked and rolled, only to feel the flat of the sword slam against the side of his face, and a boot hit the base of his neck. His head was slammed forward into a rock, and he lost consciousness, his breathing slowing, almost invisible to them, and he went deathly pale, lying unmoving from where he lay.

  
  
  


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Gimli looked up from his last kill, and saw the men force Legolas to the ground, attacking him even though he was down, and there were many more of them. They obviously had no honour. The Dwarf fumed, snarling. There were no longer any men attacking him, so he went to the aid of his elf friend. Growling and yelling a war cry, he jumped into the fray, knocking the men down left right and centre with his axe, then bringing it down on them. He was furious, aware of the elf laying unconscious behind him, and he wouldn't let them touch him. The last one of them tried to run, and he hit him over the back of his head with the flat of his axe, clawing it into his exposed back. Aragorn came to join him, and looked at the carnage. There were dead men everywhere they could see, and not one had been left alive. Eveaniea too was gone, and Gimli was worried about her. She was all on her own, and some of the men could have escaped, but hopefully she would be alright. They would have to find her soon, or Legolas would kill them both. The male dwarf knew it was obvious of how attached his friend was to the female elf, and he knew that he would be devastated if anything happened to her. He turned, and knelt down next to Legolas, who had not moved from where he lay. A small cut ran up the side of his face, lining a deep bruise that was starting to appear. Aragorn sat beside him, carefully pressing his hand to the back of the elf's neck, sighing with relief.

  


"It is not broken," his voice was audibly relieved, and Gimli looked at him, puzzled. Aragorn simply moved Legolas onto his back, and ran his hand over his friend's forehead, and over his hair, frowning.

  


"Will he be okay?" Gimli asked quietly, seeing Legolas had still not stirred. Aragorn looked defeated.

  


"I do not know," he stated simply, "Legolas has hit his head hard, I don't know if he will awaken."

Gimli looked at the ground, not able to speak at the news. He could not see the elf breathing, and he was more pale than ever.

  


"He will be alright," Gimli said forcefully, "We have to find Eveaniea, before anyone else does. He has to come with us," the dwarf saw Aragorn shake his head slightly, but the human smiled, and got to his feet.

  


"Of course," he said, "He will not pass up that responsibility, stay here with him. I am going to see if any of our supplies have survived, then we must get away from here, and fast, before anyone else comes," 

  


Gimli sat beside the fallen elf, carefully checking his friend for more injuries, finding only cuts and bruises, and sighing in relief. He turned him over, and to his dismay he saw a long cut, which was still bleeding slightly, and had soaked half his tunic in blood. At least it wasn't worse, Gimli thought to himself sadly, but he had never seen Legolas hurt, ever. The worst he had ever suffered was small cuts, and the odd bruise, but they had healed so fast he had almost missed them entirely. This was the first time he had seen the elf -any elf- unconscious, and it scared him. Aragorn too. Gimli knew the human was distressed at the state they had found their friend in, and that made him worse. 

  


When Aragorn came back, holding his rumpled looking pack, he saw the deep wound down the elf's back, and wordlessly dropped to his knees, his face growing concerned. 

  


"Gimli, we have to get out of here," he said urgently, "we will need to carry him, and get somewhere sheltered." The human stood up, leaving Gimli sitting.

  


"Take your pack and the bedding, we will need it, I fear, but if there is anything you don't need, then leave it here. We cannot afford to be more weighed down than we are at the moment,"

Nodding, Gimli got to his feet, and went to collect both his and Legolas' pack. It was then that he heard the familiar sound of hooves, and the snorting of a horse, not a memory that he cherished, but he went to see what it was all the same, and was surprised when he stumbled upon an animal that was tethered to a tree, rearing and plunging, trying to rid itself of it's bonds. It had ropes hanging round it's back legs, and was in danger of getting tangled in them. At it's feet lay packs of supplies, and he immediately realised it was a pack horse from the men who had attacked them, and that they could let Legolas rest upon it's back. The only problem was that it was still struggling, and as he got near, it lashed out at him roughly, making him fall over. He grumbled, wondering exactly how he was to get near to the beast. Of course he could get Aragorn to calm it, but then he was risking the animal tangling and getting in worse condition than he already was. His mind trailed back over everything he had learnt about a horse, and then he pinpointed something from his memory, and hesitantly spoke up.

  


"Lle anta amin tu, mellon?" he said in his gruff voice, hoping his words would have some effect on the scared animal. It was something he had remembered Legolas saying when he had calmed a wounded horse after a fight, and although he barely knew a word of elvish, he knew that it meant something along the lines of 'can I be of help, friend', but he was not entirely sure on it. It seemed to work, as the animal lowered to all fours, still rolling it's eyes wildly, and snorting deep breaths, and he got a little closer, touching it's nose. It jumped back, and he frowned, searching his memory for another phrase that might help him.

  


"Tula sinome'," he commanded lightly, reaching out for the horse's nose once more, and this time the animal stayed still, and he got a good look at it. 

  


"Vanimle sila tiri," he continued, and stroked the animal's neck, quickly hacking the ropes of the now calmed horse, and he gingerly led it forward, leading it toward the camp. When he saw Aragorn trying to carry Legolas properly on his back, the human looked at him with wide eyes. 

  


"Gimli where did you find a horse?!" he asked, lowering Legolas to the ground once more, and looking at the horse. In the light, the pair could see that is was a dapple gray, with a rather dirty, but what looked to be a flowing mane and tail. It looked a lot happier, sensing it was in better company, and it arched it's head and pranced around a little, pausing to sniff Aragorn, inhaling the scent of the human. Gimli laughed as the horse rubbed it's head against his friend, and then dropped it's head to the limp figure behind him, delicately nosing the elf, burying it's muzzle down between his shoulder and jaw, then pulling away and snorting. Gimli laughed, and Aragorn smiled.

  


"It is a mare," he said, and Gimli raised an eyebrow, looking slightly confused.

  


"A girl? A woman?" he asked, and Aragorn turned his back on him, resting his weight across the horse's back, to make sure it would not buck when it had weight on it's back. While Gimli knew he would entrust Legolas with any horse, and not stop him from riding anything, no matter how wild it was, when he was not conscious, unable to keep a hold, he did not have the same confidence that the elf's presence alone would calm the animal.

  
  


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Aragorn slid his weight down off the mare's back, and knelt down to Legolas, carefully picking him up, trying to take all his weight. The horse turned her head, and roughly nudged Aragorn, then dropped slowly to her knees, and then to her side. Surprised, the man carefully slid the unconscious elf onto the back of the mare, and rubbed her neck, moving away so she could get up. Both he and Gimli watched in awe when the horse got to her feet, very carefully, shifting her weight to keep the elf from falling off. He stepped forward to steady his friend, and the mare snaked her head around, swinging her back legs, and grabbing the fabric of Legolas' shirt, pulling him up a little, then she slowly shifted forwards, without being led, looking back expectantly at Aragorn and Gimli.

  


"Well, I suggest we go then," Aragorn smiled, and he was amused that Gimli was smiling as well, he did not entirely think that the Dwarf would be amused at being led by a horse.

  
  
  


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Eveaniea curled up, exhausted from fear, and tiredly rocked herself back and fourth, completely hidden, next to a spring. It had been two days since the men had attacked. A straggler had come through looking for her, and she had killed him, but the memory of him scared her, and she had moved on to somewhere else. She had been planning to go back to try and find her friends, even though she had been lost, but in yet another flight, she had no idea where she was. She trembled uncontrollably, freezing cold, although she didn't know why, she was an elf, cold did not usually bother her. Tears slid down her cheeks. She would most certainly die here, she was so lonely, and so desperately wanted company. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli had probably gone. She knew that they needed to get to Rivendell, but she felt infinitely sad at the thought of being left alone. She could no longer see through the water that flooded her eyes and blurred her vision, and she wiped it away with her sleeve, then she rested against a rock. She looked down at the beautiful shirt she was wearing, and smiled. She toyed with the silver cord, and took the bow she had been given, holding it close to her. It was the only memoir of Legolas she had, apart from the clothes she wore, and she would keep it with her as long as she lived. Yet another sadness welled up inside her, and she felt more tired, more like going to sleep. She groaned weakly. She knew she was dying, and she knew why. She could not understand why she had lasted in the company of the men so long, and she had been waiting so long for that feeling of complete emptiness, sadness, and bleakness. The feeling of having no hope anymore, not willing to live. She knew she was broken, there was no doubt about it. In the company she had been with only two days previous, she had forgotten that feeling, it had been overwhelmed by the three beings, the elf, the man and the dwarf, who had been so kind to her. It made her heart lurch, and she felt the pain more than ever, like a knife tearing harshly though her heart. She blinked in submission, knowing at long last she was dying the death she had wished- to die of a broken heart. Only this time she did not feel the relief that such a death would cause- the release from her torture, but she wished with all her soul that she would survive to see Legolas once more. 

  


And with that last thought, it lifted her trampled spirits just a little, and she gave into hope just for the moment.

  
  
  


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Legolas groaned weakly as he felt everything in his world fade away, being slowly replaced by throbbing pain in his head, spreading through his body, until he was fully aware of his consciousness once more, somewhat grudgingly. He did not open his eyes, rather relaxing in the calming black that he was swimming in. He felt the pain edge away, until it was only a dull throb in his head, along the side of his face, and a searing pain flaring up his back, as if electricity was speeding from end to end of the wound. As he finally forced his eyes open, he looked blankly up at the sky. It was night time, and he could see the stars through the thinning trees, sparkling in the sky. He watched them for a long time, until he heard a muffled voice. The next thing he saw was a Dwarf leaning over him, moving his hand in front of his eyes, back and fourth. His eyes followed it lazily, somewhat blurring. Then it registered. Gimli, Aragorn. Eveaniea. Eveaniea- he couldn't wait to see her again, and hoped she had been spared, unharmed. Forcing himself to sit, he shook his head, and his hearing returned, and his sight stabilized. He saw Aragorn hurry to him.

  


"Eveaniea, where is she?" he asked, his voice wavering, and he steadied himself, looking down to see he was wearing a new tunic.

  


"Legolas, she is not here, she ran into the forest, where, I do not know," he said slowly, "We did not mange to find her, you were hurt."

  


The male elf got up to his feet somewhat shakily, and Aragorn rose, to make sure he didn't fall. Legolas was panicked now. So she was not safe. Anything could have happened to her. Anyone could have found her. 

  


"We must find her," he demanded, "Where is my bow, and my quiver, she cannot stay outside alone, especially at night, it is not safe," He looked for it, and Gimli came up, holding it firmly.

  


"Legolas, you must be reasonable, you have been unconscious for three, nearly four days. You need rest," The Dwarf said, looking concerned. Legolas' eyes widened, in both anger and surprise, and he pushed past the two of them.

  


"I do not need rest," he said, looking back at them, "I have to find her, before someone more sinister does," he shot a pleading look at them, and saw Gimli sigh.

  


"Alright, crazy elf," he gave in, "I am with you on this one, just try this time to not get hurt," he smiled, and handed over the elvish bow to his friend, then hugging him so tightly that he nearly suffocated. Legolas groaned inwardly, feeling slightly lightheaded, but he knew Gimli was merely concerned with his well being. He hugged him back, and then looked to Aragorn, to see what the human thought.

  


"Very well," Aragorn said reluctantly, "We will go and find her now," 

  


Legolas felt his spirits rise, and Aragorn stepped over, pulling him into another hug, but not as brutal as the Dwarf's had been moments before. When he drew back, Legolas watched the human study him carefully.

  


"We thought we would lose you," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice, "When you did not wake, we were starting to think the worst. But it seems yet again, you elves surprise me," he smiled.

"Tell me if you tire,"

  


"Very well," Legolas smiled "I will tell you, but not a moment before," He belted his quiver in place, and Gimli handed him his belt, which he slid round his waist, and clipped it in place. Aragorn handed him his twin blades, and he slid them back into their sheaths, then he took his cloak, and pinned it on also.

  


"Now we have a friend for you to meet," he saw Aragorn smile slightly, "You will like it," he whistled, and Legolas saw a beautiful dapple gray mare trot up, her long silvery mane gleaming in the moonlight, and her glossy coat shining. She pranced up to him, thrusting her nose against his chest, nudging him all over. He ran his hand up her face in awe, brushing back her mane, and looking at her eyes. Then he shifted his hand, and caressed behind her ears, before looking her over.

  


"Lle naa vanima," he murmured, rubbing her neck, looking to Gimli and Aragorn.

  


"Where did you find her?" he asked, "She is a beautiful animal,"

  


"Gimli freed her. She was trapped," Aragorn explained, and Legolas looked at the Dwarf, surprised.

  


"You caught her?" he asked, looking back to the mare. He could just see little rope burns on her body, and ran gentle hands over them.

  


"That I did, Master Elf," Gimli smiled, "I gift her to you, as I did not hear you say you had replaced your last horse that had died after an attack by spiders," 

  


"I never did," he murmured, "She is perfect, my father will be envious," he patted her neck, and lightly swung up on her back. She did not flinch, but sat there beneath him placidly, yet he knew if he asked it of her, that she would turn into the most vicious animal, and strike out at anything he asked of her. 

  


"I will call her Ita'istar, , " he said, smiling at Gimli, who looked confused, "It means Illusionist, for she is by far the most beautiful animal I have seen, in honour of my Dwarf friend,"

  


"Then I am honoured,"Gimli replied, "But I think we should try to find your lass now," 

  


"Off we go then," Aragorn said, and Legolas nodded, sliding off Ita'istar's back, and grabbing his pack. The trio set off at a run through the dark of the night.

  
  
  


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Translations: 

  


Tula sinome'- Come here

Vanimle sila tiri- Your beauty shines bright

Lle naa vanima- You are beautiful

  


I think that just about does it....not sure. Any others I have missed email me red_tabby_tigress@hotmail.com

  


The other ones I explained afterwards somewhere.

  


Anyways, keep R/Ring! And thanks once again!! :D

  


~RTT

  



	7. Nil by Mouth

Disclaimer: Yes, I own LotR, I admit I am the genius behind it all. I am a man *I mean oops did I say that out loud?* 

  


No, I have absolutely nothing to do with LotR, that's why you didn't see me at the premier for RotK :D. But I do own Eveaniea, and my plot. Oh! And Ita'istar :S

  
  


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Reviews:

  


Galadriel in Disguise: I don't know what would have happened at Helm's Deep to make him angry, but like, I call that bad lying. I do it a lot :S. Hehe, and she wasn't there, so she doesn't know ;)

  


Vera-Sabe: Thank you so much for the loooooooooong review!!! I was like WooO!! Hehe.

  


Twilightkitty: Thanks for reviewing like, every second chapter!!!! *hands ice-cream to the late comer :S*

  


0_0 *is feeling overflowed by all the reviews* Im not gonna reply to the rest of them, Im gonna just say a BIG thank you to all who reviewed last chapter, coz I have over a page of new reviews to answer to, and really, I just end up saying the same thing to you all, and it makes me feel stupid. Anyway, yesh, I hope this chapter is to the liking of..................certain people....:)

  
  
  


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Legolas rode Ita'istar through the woods, Aragorn and Gimli tramping along beside him, each deadly silent, much like the dark forest that surrounded them. He leaned backwards, wavering slightly, and felt his mount shift her weight to balance him and keep him on her back. He leaned forward and rubbed her neck, whispering soft words in Elvish to her in praise. He was glad she was looking out for him, for his head was thumping, his vision blurring. The wound in his back ached like mad, and pain shot through it if he dared to move too fast. He blinked slowly, and looked to his companions, who both had looks of utmost seriousness etched on their faces. Both of them seemed to be keeping an eye on him, to make sure he did not fall from his mount. The elf snorted, and looked back to the path ahead of him. But this time it was not his pride that kept him going, his strength was rapidly failing him, and he knew he badly needed rest to let his body recover. When he was not busy being a proud creature, he would give into sense, and listen to the concerns of his friends. But Eveaniea was out in the forest, alone, probably cold, and most definitely scared. He hoped it would not be too late to find her, and hoped that she had not been found by anyone. Though he wished her safe, the thought of anyone but him comforting her made him jealous to his stomach. Shaking his head to clear it, he frowned. It was ridiculous to be so jealous, he had never been before with anyone he had found, and in his long life, he had found many weary, lost travellers in need of aid. He suddenly felt lightheaded, and swayed unsteadily upon Ita'istar's back, coming very close to falling off. Aragorn saw this from the corner of his eye, and quickly steadied the Elf before he lost his balance, and Legolas felt the human press a hand to his waist, holding him upright. Then he tensed his leg muscles once more, although painfully, and twined his fingers in the mare's long silky mane to keep him up.

  


"Legolas," Aragorn said, sounding worried, "We must stop, you are completely exhausted. If it were not for Ita'istar's vigilance I fear you would have fallen from her back hours ago," 

Legolas shrugged the comment off and turned to the human, looking at him sharply, slightly angered, even though he knew the human was merely concerned about him.

  


"I will not stop looking for her until we I find her, Aragorn," he said in a condescending tone that the human barely heard from him. Aragorn sighed, drawing his hand away hesitantly, and then moved away altogether..

  


"Fine," he sighed in defeat, "We will continue until you fall from the saddle," he said reluctantly, "Do not overtax yourself Legolas, you had no rest after that fight, and you are hurt."

  


"I am sorry Aragorn," Legolas said a little more gently, "She....I......." he lowered his head in defeat.

"I am so worried about her, I do not want anything to happen to her, and she could be in danger. It hurts," he said sadly. Aragorn looked at him sympathetically.

  


"I know how you feel," Aragorn consoled him, "Every time I thought I would not see Arwen ever again was worse than I could imagine." He squared his vison with Legolas', and the elf sighed, turning back to the trail, keeping his concentration on staying upright.

  


"We will find her Legolas," Gimli said, his voice determined, "We have to. How else will I be godfather to all the little elflings you two will have?"

  


Legolas laughed, feeling a little better, still not feeling the best, but the weight on his mind was not quite as heavy. He nudged his mount's sides, pressing one leg firmly to her right side, signalling her to turn. He did not catch the expression on Aragorn's face, which was probably of benefit to him.

At least Gimli was still looking at things with a positive attitude. While his Dwarf friend could be, at times, very blunt, most of the time he was a good companion. Unbeknownst to him, Gimli himself was not feeling lighthearted at all, but quite depressed. For he had never seen the elf look so downcast in all his travels, and it was not something he was quite used to. 

  
  
  


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Aragorn watched his elven friend intently as he turned, walking alongside him once again. He could sense an emotion clouding heavily over the elf, and identified it, after all his years of living amongst elves, as sadness. As much as the human did not want to believe it, Legolas was sick, and the cause would kill him if prolonged. He had not seen many elves dying of broken hearts, but this did not mean he did not know the signs, and his friend was displaying them without knowing. Aragorn knew not all the weakness the elf riding the horse possessed was from his injuries, and exhaustion. It would normally not affect his friend so badly, but the combination was not doing him any good. The elf was thinking of the worst that could happen to his female companion, and when his friend had told him how much it hurt him to think she was in danger only confirmed his suspicions. Although Legolas had only known Eveaniea for a couple of days, he knew the blonde elf had been an immense help to her recovering. Without him, Aragorn would still be trying to approach her slight, trembling form, in attempt to get her to tolerate his presence, and she would have been lost forever to them when the men found their camp. Eveaniea was so comfortable around his companion that she allowed him to sleep next to her, to hold her as she slept, which Aragorn was amazed at. He knew for someone who had seen such dark days as she had, it would take immense faith to trust anyone, especially while she was sleeping. Aragorn smiled. From what he had already seen, the two elves made a perfect couple. Legolas accepted and understood what she had been through, and did not think any less of her for it, which had brought her to trust and respect him. He had made her accept it, as well, and realise that no, it wasn't her fault, and her standard had by no means fallen because of the incident. While she was uncomfortable with being touched, or by closeness to anyone, he was cautious, careful, and would never lay a hand on her without her consent. He had never and would never raise his voice to her, nor came anywhere near close to raise a hand to harm her. The human knew that Legolas would rather have been submitted to the torture chambers in the depths of Mordor before he would even think of abusing her by any degree. And his friend was tolerant- had patience in spadefuls. Aragorn knew that naturally, after what had happened to her, she would be wary of going to bed with a male, no matter who it was, in fear of being hurt once more, but Legolas would never force her into anything, least of all sleeping with him just to satisfy his body. He would wait until she was ready, and not a moment before. 

  


In short, Aragorn knew his companion was perfect for the she-elf, and it gave him a new incentive to carry on with their trail. He could see she had been here once, if only for a fleeting moment while she ran from danger, but he did not dare raise the issue for fear of bringing false hope to his companions. He would wait until he found real proof of her existence in the forest. He paused slowly as Ita'istar stopped, her head raised, and ears pricked ,as tense as her rider, and he watched Legolas sniffing the air delicately, a small look of hope flitting upon his face. 

  


"I can smell smoke, from dead wood,"the elf looked at Aragorn, who raised an eyebrow, and nodded, "There is a camp of elves nearby, we should head towards them, they could have seen her," Aragorn saw a familiar sparkle in his friend's previously dull eyes, and he smiled to himself, quickly looking for more signs of their she-elf.

  


"Then we head for the camp," Aragorn agreed, "She may have stumbled upon them by chance. At worst they will look out for her,"

  


Legolas nodded, and Aragorn saw Gimli's eyes widen as the male elf nudged the sides of his horse lightly, urging her to a leisurely canter. He grinned, but in the dark the Dwarf was blind to it, and in the pale moonlight, he could see Gimli did not look amused at having to follow a running horse.

  


"I will scout ahead and find it, then I can lead you to it," Legolas said over his shoulder, pulling the hood of his cloak up to cover his hair. Aragorn felt a lot better, the elf's hopes had been renewed, and he had regained his spirit once more. The cloud of sadness that once settled over his mind was rapidly vaporising, and he could once again sense the light presence that normally surrounded the immortal. Their tired companion had almost magically disappeared, being replaced with a livelier creature, and the change had been so drastic that Aragorn himself had not at first believed it. He smiled, and looked to Gimli, who looked a lot more hopeful as well.

  


"Well, I do suppose we should follow him, master Dwarf," He laughed, and the two of them started to run after the horse. Gimli groaned, obviously not welcoming their late night run, but he hoisted his axe up, and as Aragorn broke into a run after Legolas, the Dwarf quickened his pace, running so quickly that even Legolas was surprised. But that passed after he had run a short distance, and he fell behind once more. 

  


"As.....I......said....." Gimli puffed, "Dwarves.......are.....natural........sprinters, made..........for........short...........distances.............." Aragorn laughed.

  


"You should have paced yourself, Gimli," he said over his shoulder, and then he and the Dwarf disappeared into the bushes after Legolas.

  
  
  


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Eveaniea froze as she lay curled up against the side of a tree, her sharp ears picking up small amounts of sound as she heard a group of people draw near. But it was quiet. Almost too quiet for her likings, much to silent for humans, too many for just Legolas. She very slowly got up, shifting so she could see who was coming, and her mouth fell open in shock when she saw a company of Elves riding through the forest, their mount's hooves falling as softly as their own feet would have. They were all in perfect unison, not one out of place, and there was one they were elegantly swarming around, their weapons in close proximity to them in case of attack. Curious, she leaned forward to look at them closer, but was frightened half to death when the whole of them turned to where she was sitting, scanning the area intently with their sharp eyes. She crawled backwards, trying to stifle the noise of her movements as much as possible, but it was not enough. A dozen of them dismounted quickly, and came towards where she crouched, and she held her breath, hoping they would not see her. She reached for her knife, and gripped the handle tightly to defend herself, when one of the elves stumbled upon her, and in a deft motion swatted his bow downwards, so that it lay gently on her hand, discouraging her from using it on him.

  


~"There will be no need for that, M'lady,"~ he said evenly, ~"You are safe now, come with us, we will not harm you,"~ He watched her as she got up, and motioned for her to follow him back to the company. Defeated, not knowing what else to do, she resigned herself to follow him, tucking the dagger back into her shirt. She said nothing, but she could feel her bow on her back, wrapped in cloth, as did her quiver. In her silence, the guard said nothing more to her, but simply led her to the company of elves, who had returned to their formation, each of the horses standing square, and still. Her eyes widened, however, when she was brought before another elf, this one looking more grand than the rest, his blonde hair touched below his waist, and hung over his shoulders, bound at several intervals. His robes were green with gold trim, and she noticed he wore many intricately designed pieces of jewellery, in the forms of necklaces and rings, all of them made of gold. His eyes were clear blue, and he looked quite friendly. She knew who he was, knew he was of great importance, but she could not name him, or remember where it was that she had seen him before. Her mind raced, trying to think, but it only frustrated her more. 

  


~"I present you to Thranduil, Lord of Mirkwood, our leader,"~ The elf said, and he bowed deeply in respect. Eveaniea's eyes widened as he said this, and she dropped to her knees, almost pressing her head to the ground in a bow to him. It was when she heard a quiet, kindly voice from above her

demand that she get up. She cautiously looked up, and the Elven Lord motioned her to stand in front of him. She did so slowly, and very shyly. Of course she had seen him before. In Gondor. She had been briefly introduced to him, before he was bustled away. Before she had been kidnapped, her parents had told her she was to be married to Thrandullion- the son of the elf before her. But she had not wanted to, and had gotten mad, and left the city to spend some time alone. She had wanted to marry someone of her choice, not just because her parents had a lot of money, and had a good status. That was when she had been caught, she had been alone, as she had wished, and the men had found her. 

  


~"I..... It is a pleasure to meet you,"~ she bowed once more, not sure what to say. She was a mess. In front of someone of great importance. She could not stop the blush that spread across her face, and looked down for a moment, before fighting to rid herself of her embarrassment, and looking at him once more.

  


~"It is also an honour,"~ she continued, feeling slightly stupid at being wordless.

  


~"The pleasure is all mine,"~ he replied, smiling at her, ~"Now I hope you do not mind my asking, but what is your name, and why are you out in the wild, all alone,"~ His voice was concerned, and she sighed, not wanting to explain everything. All she wanted to do was rest, but at this moment, it was not an option. She carefully thought things over in her head before she recited them to him, leaving out as much detail as she could. She was not ready to tell a complete stranger everything that had happened in the last century, and was sure Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli would get into great amounts of trouble if it was known that they had been the cause of the death of so many men. Even if Aragorn was truly king, he was bound to be looked upon coldly for his acts, even though he was merely defending her and himself. She admired Aragorn, and made an exception to trust him, as a human male, which she knew he was honoured to have gained, even if he had only known for a short time. She closed her eyes, and sighed softly before she continued.

  


~"My name is Eveaniea, and I am from Rivendell. I am alone because I lost my companions, and I do not know my way around the forest." Thranduil looked at her sharply, and he looked her over more throughly, his face showing he was clearly surprised.

  


~"Eveaniea?"~ He said, in a quiet voice, ~"You are thought to be dead. You were the elf maiden who was to marry my son, were you not?"~ He looked mildly surprised, but kept it under control, and she felt bad. So he knew she had run away. 

  


~"Yes, I was,"~ She ducked her head, ~"I was captured by men on the border, they have held me prisoner until recently,"~

  


~"Well I am glad you are not still in their hands,"~ he said, ~"My offer still stands, if you would like to he bound to my son, as he has not yet been wed,"~ The elvish Lord informed her, and she paused, feeling an oncoming wave of dread washing over her. She did not trust herself to speak sense when she opened her mouth, but a few words came to mind, and she tried to sound as respectful as possible to the Elven Lord in front of her.

  


~"I am sorry, but I am tired,"~ She apologized sincerely, ~"Please, may I sleep, and then give you my answer, for I cannot think straight. This has been a big shock to me,"~ She looked at him awkwardly, and shifted on the spot.

  


~"Very well,"~ he replied calmly, ~"You do look tired, little one, I will see to it that you are outfitted in more luxurious clothes, and are given a bed to sleep in,"~ he said, and she was lead to a horse, which she was to ride. She was boosted up, and the elf who owned it walked alongside it. She thanked him quietly for his kindness.

  


But her thoughts were elsewhere, and she could not concentrate. She was going back to Gondor to be married, again, and this time she could not run from it. She did not want to be caught again. She could not refuse the offer of the Elven Lord, her parents would be immensely angerd, and the Elf Lord would be deeply offended. Yet she did not want to spend all eternity with some spoilt prince treating her as some sort of prize in public, and acting stuck up and snobbish to her in person, she could not bear that. And if he had known what had happened to her he would never agree to it. That thought encouraged her slightly, and she hoped that she might run into Legolas in Gondor, but she supposed it would be too late, since he and his friends were stopping in Rivendell. Not noticing the hours had passed by, she hung her head, and took a took a bedroll that was handed to her some time later, and she half heard them tell her to get off the horse. She slid off the animals back, and looked around. They had stopped in a clearing and were setting up camp, setting out beds. She settled down, and did the same, staying on the edge of the clearing, silently rolling her bed out and setting a blanket across the bedroll. An elf came over to her, and he handed her a set of clothes.

  


~"I am sorry, this is all we have at the moment for you to wear,"~ he apologized, and she took them, discovering it was a tunic and pants, to her relief not a dress. 

  


~"That is alright,"~ she smiled softly, ~"I would rather be wearing these at the moment, as they are more comfortable to travel in,"~

  


~"Lord Thranduil would like to speak with you when he is finished what he is doing, if you are not too tired,"~ He continued. Eveaniea looked at the elven king to see he was sitting with several other elves, looking at something, deep in conversation, a small frown appearing on his face. 

  


~"Of course I do not mind,"~ she said, ~"I will just get changed into these,"~ he nodded, and bowed slightly before he returned to his company.

  


Eveaniea looked around for the most suitable place to get changed, and disappeared into the nearby bushes, close enough for the rest of the group to hear her if she was in trouble, but completely hidden from their sight. As she settled, she quickly slid off her dirtied clothes, pulling on the clean ones as fast as she could, smoothing them and making them tidier once she was wearing them. The set of clothes she was wearing now was green, and she noted she had been given arm guards to put on her wrists. They must have seen her bow earlier. She carefully adjusted her collar, and clipped her quiver on, picking up the once silver shirt she had worn, and carefully folding it up. It was covered in dirt, and now looked more a dull gray, but she could wash it. There had been too much work put into it to simply throw it away, and she liked it a lot, as it reminded her of Legolas. She settled for tucking it down the back of her quiver for now, and reminded herself to ask for a pack of her own if the company had a spare. She was readying herself to head back, when she heard footsteps, and whirled around. They were heavy, and whoever it was obviously wasn't going for the quiet approach. Quietly she moved close herself, and she heard the loud curses, familiar ones. She heard it again, and realised the voice was coming from a Dwarf. It was coming from Gimli. Her hope rose as she heard them coming closer, and she edged to the side of the trees. Sighting three approaching figures, one of them wearing a cloak with a hood, and riding a horse. As they came closer, she noticed Aragorn and Gimli walking, behind, and guessed Legolas was the one riding the horse. She recognised the animal, it was one from the men's camp that she had been taken to when she was handed over to the younger men once more from the men who had grown old. She saw the horse prick it's ears up as it sighted her, and it turned in her direction, eagerly picking her way through the woods towards her, prancing slightly.

  
  
  


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Legolas felt Ita'istar raise her head, and saw her ears prick up, and start to move away from where he was guiding her. They were so close to the camp now she could not play up, and he tried to steer her back on the trail once more. Ignoring him completely, the mare kept moving her own way, and when he tried to correct her direction once more, she reared, pawing the air once, before falling back on all fours. Then she flattened her ears back, and continued on. Although the elf was puzzled at her sudden misbehaviour, he was not in the least caught off guard when she reared, and he easily clung on, despite Gimli's gasp of horror. He smiled slightly. He would never get his friend on a horse again, for fear of it bucking or rearing now, and he was so close to getting the Dwarf to ride willingly. When she had touched down, he saw something in the surrounding trees with his sharp eyes, and he looked at it, curiously. Calling his mount to a halt, he slid from her back, landing soundly on his own feet, despite his previous injuries and tiredness. Upon seeing Eveaniea's familiar form looking at him uncertainly, he moved towards the bushes that she was hiding in, and sighed with relief.

  


"Legolas?" she whispered quietly, unsure of who it was. He realised that he was wearing the hood of his cloak up as to not give him away in the night, should the moon be out, because his hair was light, and it shone under the moonlight. In two steps he had covered the ground between them to stand in front of her.

  


~"It is only me,"~ he said in a soft voice, and he heard her sigh in relief, before he pulled her closer to him, slipping one of his hands behind her neck and kissing her. She wasn't at all surprised this time, and relaxed against him completely, linking her arms around his neck loosely. He could hear Aragorn and Gimli behind him, Ita'istar was throwing her head up, prancing slightly, making a bit of noise but he no longer cared what either of them thought, he was just happy to see the female elf again. When he drew away from her, he pulled her into a tight hug, and kissed her forehead, feeling her wrap her arms tightly around his back. He tensed however, when he saw more than two dozen Elves, each of them with a raised bow and notched arrow, all aiming at him. Eveaniea saw them too, and froze in fright, clinging to him tighter.

  


~"Let her go,"~ one of them hissed, and Legolas frowned slightly, releasing one arm around Eveaniea to slide back the hood of his cloak, settling it back on his shoulders. Upon seeing him, the guards lowered their bows, and returned their arrows to their quivers. Replacing his arm around Eveaniea once more, he saw his father approach the front of the rest of the elves, and he bowed his head slightly at the guards.

  


~"Beleger, Astalder,"~ he acknowledged the two head guards, ~"Heruamin (my lord)"~ he bowed his head completely as he turned to the Elven lord, ~"It is only I, Legolas,"~ 

  


Beleger and Astalder drew the rest of the guards back as Thranduil approached Legolas and Eveaniea, and Legolas waited for him to speak.

  


~"Legolas,"~ he acknowledged him, his eyes shining, ~"I see you have already met Eveaniea. You seem to be well acquainted,"~ he smiled, ~" do you remember, a little over a century ago you were to be married?"~ Legolas furrowed his brow slightly. He did not remember much about it, so he shook his head.

  


~"I do not remember, atar,"~ he said, his eyes clouding slightly in confusion. He did not see Eveaniea look at him in shock, for both the dark and because she had turned to look at his father, but he felt her cling tighter to him, and he wrapped his arms protectively around her. 

  


~"I did not think so,"~ the Elven King smiled, ~" She disappeared the night after we arrived in Gondor, to see her, and I told you she had not accepted my offer. It was Eveaniea you were to marry, Legolas, do you not recognise her?"~ Legolas frowned, studying what he could see of Eveaniea's face from the moonlight, and his eyes widened.

  


~"I do,"~ Legolas said slowly, recognition dawning on him. His father had pointed her out to him when they had arrived in the white city, but he had indeed never met her, or been told her name.

~"We were merely returning her to her kin in Rivendell," he said softly, looking down at the she-elf in his arms, ~"She misses them terribly,"~

  


~"Her family no longer resides in Rivendell,"~ Thranduil informed them, ~"A year after she disappeared, her parents departed to the Undying lands,"~ Legolas stiffened slightly, and he felt Eveaniea shift, sensing her sadness.

  


~"Then I will travel with her wherever she wants to go, if she wants to follow her mother and father to the Undying lands, then I shall accompany her to the ship."~ he said steadily, his voice void of emotion, ~"It is the least I can do, to offer her protection,"~

  


~"I have already told her that my offer of marriage still stands,"~ Thranduil replied, ~"If she accepts, then you two shall be married in Gondor, with the consent of the High King,."~ The Elf Lord looked to Aragorn, who nodded slightly in consent.

  


Legolas reeled, and he felt Eveaniea pull from his hold, so he loosened his grip around her. She looked at him timidly, and he looked to his father in shock. He had always dreaded the day he was to be wed to a she-elf, he had never been thrilled to be in female company. But this was Eveaniea, and he loved her dearly- if not as her mate, he would definitely settle for the type of love he would have for a little sister. He sighed uncomfortably, and looked up at his father.

  


~"It is not fair of you to ask her to be wed to me right now, she will feel under pressure to oblige because you are of more power than her,"~ he said, his shock still evident in his voice. He knew his elder would not care if he was happy with the agreement, but did not want to force Eveaniea to wed him against her will, even though he liked her immensely, and would not at all mind her being his wife. He just wanted her to be happy, whether he was the reason or not. His father sighed heavily, and turned from him.

  


~"She has told me she would give me her answer in the morning,"~ Thranduil said looking over his shoulder to his son.

  


~"Until then I suggest you go to sleep Legolas, we will be setting off early in the morning once more,"~.

  


Eveaniea looked at him cautiously, and approached him, he felt her hug him tightly, and he realised she was trembling. He soothingly rubbed her back, and gently reciprocated her hug.

  


~Please, Legolas, I need some time alone to think,"~ she whispered softly, and he kissed her cheek.

  


~"You should head back to camp and get some rest,"~ he said gently to reassure her, ~"You do not have to give my father an answer until tomorrow morning,"~ 

  


She hugged him tighter, and then pulled away, kissing him quickly on the lips before moving away entirely.

  


~"Thank you,"~ She said softly, and headed back to the camp. He heard Aragorn and Gimli walk up behind him, but he did not turn around to face them.

  


"He cannot force her to marry me," Legolas said numbly, "It is completely unfair on her part, she was shocked, it was too much for her to take in." He dropped his head, and felt Ita'istar nudge him, so he absently caressed her face.

  


Aragorn gave his friend a sympathetic look, and approached him, tightening his arm around Legolas' pale neck, drawing him close so Gimli could not hear what he said.

  


~"Have you thought she may not think it unfair?"~ he whispered, ~"I know she likes you a lot, especially from your little display in the clearing a few moments back,"~ Legolas pulled back, looking at Aragorn as if he had gone crazy.

  


~"It is her decision, hers alone. If she is not ready to be married, then so be it. I will settle for being an over protective brother to her,"~ He said, knowing his voice sounded automatic and emotionless. Gimli shook his head and smirked.

  


"Legolas, an over protective brother does not have the intentions of what you want to do with her," he said. Legolas shot him a glare, and turned, heading back to the clearing. He did not see Aragorn curse the Dwarf yet again for teasing his friend, because by that time, he was nowhere to be seen.

  
  


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Eveaniea tucked herself into bed, her body feeling heavy, and numb. She drew the covers up so they nearly shielded her face from the outside world, and she closed her eyes tightly, keeping them shut so tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks did not leave her eyes. She felt absolutely terrible, she must have made Legolas feel terrible too, and that thought hurt. Burying her face in her pillow, she tried to muffle her sobs. She was upset at the news that her parents had gone to the undying lands, and she desperately wanted to see them again, but then there was Legolas. For the few days they had been separated, she had felt so lonely, and hurt. She had missed him tucking her into his bed, missed his friendly nature, and his touch. She had never felt so alone in her life, and she never wished to again. The rest of her wanted to cry with relief. The prince whom she had been to marry was Legolas himself, and this contradicted all of her assumptions of being used, and unloved. She had nearly fainted with shock when the Legolas had called the Elven King 'atar'- she had not known he was Legolas' father, that she was to be wed to the elf that she loved so much. She gasped, unsure that she had just admitted it to herself. She loved him so much. There was no way that she could leave the male elf, not now, not even for her parents. She did not want that empty space to come back again. It would hurt too much, and it would be forever. 

  


It was then that she heard soft movements beside her, and a felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up straight into his blue eyes, which were full of concern for her, a stark difference to her own, which were red from crying.

  


~"Are you alright?"~ She heard him ask, sounding like he was almost scared for her, ~"I know you wanted to be alone, but you were crying, and I was concerned. I hope I did not upset you,"

  


She pulled herself up, so she was sitting, and he settled down next to her, sliding an arm around her shoulder, letting her rest against his side.

  


~"I don't want to be alone anymore,"~ She said softly, and she felt him wipe away some of the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She lay her head on his shoulder, and sighed.

  


~"May I bring my bed over and sleep next to you?"~ she asked, ~"I need to talk to you,"~

She felt him gently loosen his arm from her shoulders, and he let her sit up.

  


~"I will bring my bed next to yours, that way I will not awaken Aragorn and Gimli," he said, and she watched as he quietly brought his bedroll over to her, setting it next to hers, so they were adjoined. She slid beneath the covers, and he did the same, drawing close to her, and propping himself up on his elbow, looking down directly into her eyes. 

  


~"What do you need to say?"~ he asked softly, ~"Something troubles you, I can sense it," he gently caressed her face, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, then exhaling.

  


~"Legolas,"~ She started, quietly, ~"I.........I.....I love you, I felt so sad when we were separated, and I..."~ she stopped, unable and not sure if he cared. She slapped herself mentally. Of course he cared. Why else would he be lying next to her, hearing her out, and being so caring toward her. He looked a little taken aback, but he quickly pulled her into a hug, one hand holding her head to his chest, his other wrapped around her side, and arm.

  


~"I was worried as well, _A'maelamin_," he emphasised the last word, and stroked her cheek, ~"I thought we would never find you. It hurt so much," she lay there, still as she could, savouring the feeling of him holding her.

  


~"I would be happy to wed you,"~ she murmured softly, ~"If that is what you want, I now realise that I should not have run that night, if I could have been with you for all that time."~

  


~"Of course I would take you as my wife,"~ he let go of her as he said this, ~"What is done is done, do not regret it. It will only come back to upset you." He shifted, so he leaned over her, and he kissed her gently, and this time deeply, making her melt. When he finally moved away she felt as if she was merely a puddle at his side, but he held her close to him, and she felt immensely happy. She started to drift into a deep sleep, feeling exhausted.

  


"Amin mela ille, Eveaniea," she heard his voice growl deep in his throat from where she lay, and she smiled softly.

  


~"I love you too, Legolas,"~ she replied, twining some of his golden hair around her fingers for comfort, and she drifted off, barely feeling the rise and fall of her mate's chest as he too fell asleep.

  
  
  


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Translations:

Atar: Father

Amin mela ille: I love you

A'maelamin: my beloved 

  


Now I wasn't going to make Legolas the elf, as you can probably tell, some of that was kinda way out of proportion- but I got a couple of people who thought her was, and let me just say I had an idea one day while I was walking somewhere, and thought it would make things a little more interesting, as this was going to be a fairly boring chapter. Anyway, I hope no one gets annoyed or queer at this chapter, so.....ho-hum. :S

  
  


R/R

  


~RTT

  
  



	8. FMV

Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. I own Eve and Ita, but nothing more than that. Sadly :P

  


Apologies:

OH MY GOD IM SO SORRY GUYS. GAH. I've been having to work every day, and on the couple of days off I have been having, I have been doing stuff with family. When I haven't been doing that I will admit that I have had writers block, and been focussing a little on my art, but I've been really stuck with what to write. Anyways, a few well placed reviews that I have been getting lately (which have meant a lot to me) have kinda been an incentive to write again, so I bring to you, without further ado, the next chapter of S.U.I.T . I apologize for the length, but it was a bit of a fill in. The next chapter should be a lot longer.

  


Oh, and hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years. I know I did :D

  


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When Aragorn awoke the next morning, he was suddenly entangled in a fierce feeling of pressure and no one was speaking. He looked up from his rugged bed to see the whole company of elves sitting or standing completely still, their breathing very quiet, almost silent. Their sharp eyes were all fixed upon the figure of their leader and King, who stood at the centre of the group, unmoving. Eveaniea was in front of him, silent, and still, her deep blue gaze directed straight at the ground as her head was bowed respectively to her elder. She looked unusually pale, nervous, and he was surprised that she did not flinch nor utter a small sound of fear as Thranduil watched her every move. Aragorn could see from the very corner of his eye that Gimli was watching quietly too, even his breathing had seemed to be silenced, no longer noisy and raspy, but quiet and swift. The party stayed still and wordless for what seemed like an eternity before the soft, smoothed voice of the elven lord came and went, nearly before the human's ears picked up the words that he uttered.

  


~"Eveaniea, my dear, I trust you have made your decision by now,"~ he said in a quiet, collected voice, sounding patient and welcoming. Aragorn could not read any emotion from the face of the female elf, even in daylight, for her expression stayed blank, her face allowed no emotion to be played upon it, one of the things her kind was both famous and infamous for. She merely tilted her head to level with the gaze of the Lord standing before her, and opened her mouth to speak. Aragorn let his eyes scout the group of elves until they rested upon his friend, Legolas, who was standing a distance away from the rest of the elves, seemingly not even breathing. His eyes reflected a mixture of fear and uncertainty, and love for the female elf. He shook his head slightly to himself. 

  


~"I have decided, mi'lord,"~ she said softly, and Aragorn realised that, for the first time, her voice sounded almost musical, ~"I would be honoured to accept your proposal, and to be married to your son,"~ she finished softly, bowing her head respectfully once more. The King nodded slowly, and a smile came upon his face, before he fixed his gaze upon Legolas, whom he had noticed was hanging back from the group somewhat. The clearing was filled with soft, excited whispers of elvish, and Aragorn just smiled when he heard Gimli demand rabidly what had happened, shaking his head.

  


"Why can't these damn elves speak in common tongue," Gimli growled in his rough voice, making the human King smile broadly. From the way the elves were acting, to an outsider, it would seem as if the female had rejected the proposal- Legolas remained silent and had not moved, except to block all emotion from his face. By now every eye in the camp was upon him, and he stiffened somewhat, looking more like the prince he was, rather than the common elf he acted like in front of his two companions.

  


"She has accepted," Aragorn said in a quiet voice as the voices faded out a little, "Legolas and Eveaniea are to be wed in Gondor, upon our return," his smile only widened as he saw the devious look that mounted itself upon the face of the Dwarf, and he chuckled, but his companion said nothing. Instead, his attention was drawn back to Thranduil, who hugged Eveaniea loosely, placing a kiss upon her forehead, and then slid an arm around her shoulder. The two friends watched her carefully to see if she flinched, but she did not, instead she relaxed, and the Elven king reached out his arm, beckoning his son to come to him. Aragorn was relieved when Legolas approached him, every inch of his body showing his elven grace, his face still blank, but seemingly calm. He had his emotions well contained, to any passer by he would look unhappy at the arrangements, whereas the human and Gimli knew otherwise. Upon reaching his father, Aragorn watched Legolas bow gracefully in respect to his father, and the younger elf was drawn into a gentle hug, before the King rested his free arm around the shoulder of his son.

  


~"May the valour bless this new union of my son Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, and Eveanea, the eldest and only daughter of Lady Amaelen and Master Evandor of Rivendell. Let us see them walk together for many millennia to come,"~ He released each of them, and the elves swarmed around the couple, each of them paying respect to the newly engaged prince and his fiancee. Thranduil, however went to Aragorn, and the man bowed to him, a bow which the elven king returned.

  


~"I am glad to see you found Eveaniea,"~ Aragorn said quietly, ~"Legolas was very worried for her safety, he feared she was recaptured or dead,"~ The human looked over to his elven friend, then down to Gimli, who was grunting and grumbling to himself. Thranduil smiled at the antics of the Dwarf, and spoke in common tongue for his sake.

  


"She was frightened when we found her, but she has settled," he raised an eyebrow, "I am surprised he would take a wife with such little fuss, until now he has been somewhat unreceptive towards the female elves in Mirkwood." 

  


Gimli smirked somewhat evilly, but Aragorn cut him off before he could say anything that the elven lord before them both would take offence to. The Dwarf did not seem to understand that not all elves could put up with his uncensored remarks, even his lighter comments would have the hatred of dwarves rebuilt.

  


"He was a vital part to gaining her trust and friendship, a feat that neither Master Gimli nor I could perform," the human cut in, "she would not come near either of us. I think she will be good for him, and he for her. They make a good couple, I am happy for them both," Thranduil nodded as Aragorn said this, somewhat grimly.

  


"Then it is as I have feared, she has been badly mistreated," he sighed his gaze flitting over the female elf, "still, Legolas does not seem to have any less affection for her, after what has happened. I do not see it fit for the wedding not to take place. I trust you do not mind hosting it?" he asked quietly. Aragorn and Gimli smiled at one another.

  


"I am sure it will be no problem, I will be happy to host the wedding of one of my dearest friends," Thranduil nodded, and smiled.

  


"Would you ride on with us?" he asked, "Or would you prefer that you go ahead on foot?"

  


"For the sake of protection and security for Eveaniea, I think it best we travel along with your party," Aragorn said, "We would be in a better position to look after her, since we have already been attacked by her captors once," he sighed.

  


"We will make arrangements for you to ride," Thranduil nodded, "We have a spare mount you can use, and would be honoured to ride alongside you."

  


Only Gimli looked slightly left out as the arrangements were made, the memories of Ita'istar rearing back on the path still fresh in his mind. He wasn't all that sure that he ever wanted to ride one of the beasts ever again, not if they behaved like that. He had already fallen enough times off a horse working normally, he didn't need a mad beast to make him loose his balance. As the Elven king departed, he stood somewhat nervously beside Aragorn, silently trying to get his attention, and be discreet about his fear of horses. The human noticed, and smiled.

  


"Aragorn, you are not telling me that we are to ride one of those crazy beasts that these elves seem to like so much," he asked gruffly, "Why can they not keep their feet on the ground?"

  


"Hush Gimli," he said softly, "You will ride with me, the horse will not rear."

  


This only brought a mocking look upon the weathered face of the Dwarf.

  


"It is very assuring, let me tell you Aragorn," he said, and left the human on his own as an immaculate grey horse was lead over to him by a blonde elf, unsaddled, and without a bridle, not even a rope around it's neck. Aragorn raised an eyebrow as the animal nudged the elf, and then pulled away, to inspect the human. He smiled as the strong head of the horse rubbed against his arm, then butted into his stomach, inhaling his scent.

  


"We ride out after breakfast," the elf said, bowing to Aragorn, "we expect you to be ready to accompany us," 

  


"I will be ready," Aragorn nodded, absently scratching the horse behind the ear, "thank you for the mount, what is his name?" 

  


"His name is Numen," The elf replied, "and you are more than welcome. If you would come with me, I think that breakfast is being served, he will be more than fine to stay here, he is a well behaved animal," 

  


Aragorn nodded, giving Numen a final rub on the neck, before following the elf into the thick of the camp to find food.

  
  


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Late that night Legolas looked up at the stars as their mounts picked through the woods, showing no sign of tiring, or wanting to stop. The trees were thick, and the path narrow, so they were in single file, riding behind his father in the string of horses. Aragorn rode two horses in front of him, with Gimli behind him, grumbling to himself of his sore backside. He missed his Dwarf friend, and Aragorn, as he had been kept occupied all of the morning, and hadn't had a chance to speak to either of them throughout the long ride that day. Eveaniea was seated in front of him on Ita'istar, and the horse kept up her pace perfectly, her gait smooth and easy to ride with. She seemed to prance along in a graceful manner, her bluish grey and white coat shining in the moonlight. Her neck was arched proudly, her mane flowing, and she seemed to float along on her lightly feathered feet. Legolas tightened his arm slightly around the waist of the female elf, while he kept one hand knotted loosely in the silvery mane of his mount to steady the both of them. Eveaniea leaned back into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin. He heard her sigh softly, and he smiled.

  


~"Are you tired?"~ he asked quietly, in a soft voice that only she could hear. She stirred slightly from where she was seated, but settled one more back where she was. 

  


~"A little,"~ she replied in a sleepy voice, making him smile.

  


~'"You can rest,"~ he murmured softly, ~"We will not pause till later in the morning, when we will rest the mounts, and we will ride on again. I will not let you fall,"~ he felt her lean more of her weight against him, and looked up momentarily to see the string of silvery horses still travelling steadily.

  


~"You don't mind?~ she asked quietly, ~"It seems unfair that you have to stay awake while I can rest,"~ He laughed quietly to himself.

  


~"I do not need to sleep,"~ he assured her gently, ~"you are tired, a'maelamin, get some rest,"~ he leaned down to kiss her cheek, and he felt her slowly fall limp against him as she retreated to sleep. He sat there for awhile, listening to the soft sounds of her breathing mingled with the peacefulness of the sleeping forest as the group rode on through the night.

  
  


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Three nights later, Aragorn sat at the edge of the forest, alone, seeking solitude. Even though there had been little talk since he had travelled with the elves, for some reason he wanted to be completely alone with his thoughts, not even finding it in the presence of his friends. He was perched upon a rock, his pipe set between his teeth as he drew in a breath of smoke, and puffed it back into the clear night sky, watching the soft gray mass fade into the deep blue blanket that was the sky. The entire camp was fast asleep, but even though he hadn't rested properly for a number of days, he could not find rest. He was only five days from Gondor now, the responsibilities would be put back to him upon his return. As much as he did not mind sitting beside his beloved wife, and leading Gondor, the last few weeks had been a pleasant change, and he felt more like the ranger Aragorn, which he had sorely missed in his reign. He inhaled, and puffed out again, thinking of Arwen. She had plagued his dreams of late, and he could not wait to see her once more again, face to face. 

  


His thoughts were disturbed as he heard a slight movement at the top of the hill, and he turned to see Legolas watching, silently, his eyes blank and even though he was staring right at Aragorn, he did not seem to pick up any of the human's actions. Aragorn frowned, and took his pipe from his mouth, in one of his hands. He went to stand up, but Legolas made his way down the hill, slowly, and sat on the rock next to him. Aragorn frowned. He could practically sense the discomfort of the immortal.

  


~"Aragorn,"~ he started slowly, as if he was unsure of what to say, but he dropped his head, and sighed. 

  


~"I am sorry, I have not spoken to you for days,"~ he said softly, ~"You are my friend, I do not wish to lose that, but-"~ he dropped off as he raised his head to look at Aragorn.

  


The human just smiled, and before Legolas could move, he drew the surprised immortal into a tight hug. 

  


~"It is not your fault Legolas, we have been travelling with little stops, or rest,"~ he said, smiling, ~"But I have missed you, I know Gimli does too, more than his pride will allow him to admit."~

  


Legolas drew back, and smiled slightly, all traces of his unease long vanished.

  


~"It surprises me that you got Gimli to ride,"~ he said, ~"I know that he was not impressed by the manners of Ita'istar, when she reared only a few nights ago,"~ 

  


~"I told him that we could leave him behind,"~ Aragorn took another puff of his pipe, and exhaled again, ~"Although he does not like to ride, he would not make it to Gondor before you were wed, and he would not miss it for the world,"~

  


Legolas laughed.

  


~"Yes, for a Dwarf, Gimli does have an abnormal interest in the lives of elves, doesn't he?"~ he said, grinning. Aragorn noted that it was a far cry from the elf he had seen four nights ago, the elf who sat at the edge of the group of his kind, refusing to show emotion.

  


~"Only a certain couple I know of,"~ Aragorn said in a chiding tone, removing his pipe from his mouth once again, and setting it to the side, ~"But he had reason to. It is no common thing for you to be paired up to a she elf,"~ he smirked, standing.

  


~"Besides, from the way the whole group of you were acting, it would intrigue anyone. He thought she had declined your father's proposal. He even told your father that you should speak common tongue in front of guests such as...."~ Aragorn had reached the point where he could not hold back his laughter, and let it loose.

  


~"Dwarves?"~ Legolas supplied, shaking his head, his eyes sparkling in amusement. Aragorn's laugh slowly turned to an almost goofy smile, and he too shook his head.

  


~"You do not need me to tell you the absurdity of that,"~ he picked up his pipe, which had gone out, and slowly wrapped it up, tucking it away in a pouch under his tunic, hiding his face.

  


~"A Dwarf telling an Elven lord what to do,"~ Legolas sighed in mock disapproval, ~"What is middle earth coming to?"~ His statement only made Aragorn laugh again.

  


~"I do not know,"~ the human grinned, looking up to the hill, ~"But I fear we are about to find out. You father has sent someone to look for us. We had best turn in for the night, rather than face his wrath for wandering unchecked."~ he raised a cocky eyebrow, and Legolas stood.

  


~"You wouldn't be scared now?"~ he asked, smirking evilly, ~"Surely you should be used to it by now,"~ he started up the slope.

  


~"That last time we were caught was your fault and you know it,"~ Aragorn called out after him, hearing Legolas laugh softly to himself as the pair returned to the camp.

  
  


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Once again apologies for the length, I hope that will do for a day or two until I can update with a longer chapter. Check my User profile page thing for a link to an illustration I did for this pic, if ur interested.

  


R/R please. And thanks to all my reviewers so far. I never dreamed I would have 88 reviews for a story. Thanks for making it happen :D

  


~RTT


	9. Lit up

Disclaimer: I don't own squat. Except Eveaniea.

Gah. I must watch Lord of the Rings again. I haven't seen it since December, and I can't keep the characters in character- most of this story has been sitting in my hard drive collecting dust because I have lost the will to write. I will try to finish it for the sake of all you guys who reviewed I LOVE YOU GUYS..

I saw lots of the reviews also while I was in Auzzie, but I couldn't post another chapter because my damn computer packed up, and had to get fixed. This chapter is really short, and really bad, so Im sorry guys -.-

Red Tabby Tigress

Faramir heard the cries of the sentries that watched over the kingdom, and both he and Arwen looked to each other- Aragorn had made his return.

Arwen ran out of the room, her beautiful red dress and long dark hair billowing out behind her and she raced across the white marble, and grass of the courtyard, to the wall, which she leaned over, her hair falling over one shoulder. She saw a large group of immaculate white horses, necks arched and ears pricked, trotting across the vast plain towards Mina's Tirith. Each was in perfect timing, and uniform, except for a darker, bluish grey horse, which she realised as they got closer, that was carrying Legolas. A smile broke out on her face when she saw Aragorn beside him, and Faramir came to stand beside her- he had walked across the yard. The pair heard a faint bellow- 'open the gates'- as the riders approached, and then the gates opened, and they disappeared into the great maze of the white tower. She turned and looked expectantly across the yard, still smiling. She couldn't wait to see her husband once more. When the riders finally rode neatly into the large yard, their horses came to a halt under invisible commands, and the riders dismounted gracefully, Arwen looked around for Aragorn. When she saw him, all she wanted to do was run up to him and hug him tightly, but instead, remembering who she was, and the manners she should display in public, she waited till he approached her, and embraced her, before she displayed any affection to him, even then keeping it to a minimum- a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek- she was well aware of their company. She drew away to see Legolas and Gimli standing a short distance behind Aragorn, and she smiled when she saw them. Legolas stepped in to give her a quick kiss on each cheek, a gesture of greeting and friendship.

"It is good to see you again, Lady Arwen," he smiled, stepping back, and ignoring Gimli loudly clearing his throat, cursing under his breath in his own tongue. Then Gimli stepped in, taking Arwen's hand, and kissing it himself.

"Hello Arwen," he said brightly, happily, with much less formality than the elf, making her laugh softly. Gimli smiled, and shot a look to his blonde companion, who raised his eyebrow slightly, pretending to be unimpressed. Both of their attention, however, was then drawn to Aragorn, who was ushering fourth a very timid Eveaniea.

"Arwen," he said, "This is Eveaniea, you may have met her before, she resided in Rivendell some years ago. She is betrothed to Legolas,"

Arwen smiled warmly, looking the female elf over. She recognised her immediately, and her eyes widened somewhat.

"Eve?" she asked in disbelief, "Is that really you? We thought you dead." By now the whole group of blonde elves were tending to the mounts, except for the two head guards, and Thranduil, who stood next to Legolas and Gimli. Faramir was showing the elves to the stables and to their rooms, and only Ita'istar remained with them. She saw the female elf shift, somewhat in shock.

"Arwen?" she said uncertainly, "I am not dead, just about, but not quite," she murmured, "look at you, the queen of Gondor,"

Arwen looked her over, frowning. The elf before her was a mess. Though her hair had obviously been brushed, it was streaked with dirt, grass and twigs, framing her pale face, hiding bruises which were fading from her cheek and jaw. Her eyes remained clear, however, and she wore a green tunic, a bow held in a pale hand.

"You will come with me before dinner, and get cleaned up," she said clearly, and Eveaniea nodded, before Arwen turned to greet Thranduil. She dipped her head in a bow, and he did the same. Aragorn came to stand beside him, and the human king addressed the elven King.

"We will find suitable lodgings for you and your companions, I will personally show you to your rooms. On behalf of Arwen and I, we should hope you will accompany us in dinner after sunset, in the great hall. If you shall need anything at all, as our guests, we shall hope that if you need anything, that you will ask a servant, or myself," He said, and Thranduil smiled.

"We will be at dinner," he said, "As we cannot decline such a generous display of hospitality, and on behalf of my companions, I thank you,"

"You are more than welcome," Aragorn smiled, "Now if you will follow, let us show you to your rooms."

Eveaniea sighed happily as she quickly slipped into a finely woven white silk dress, and pulled a light silver cloak around her shoulders, latching it around her neck with a fine silver brooch. She then slipped on a pair of small slippers that matched what she was wearing. As she stepped out of her dressing room, into the lounge room that was attached, Arwen made her way over to her, smiling.

"You look beautiful," She said softly, "If you will take a seat I can fix your hair, and we can be ready in time to go down for dinner,"

She motioned to a seat, and Eveaniea sat down, looking out through the balcony, and smiling. Arwen pulled the brush through her hair, untangling it carefully, smoothing out the knots. Eve didn't even flinch the entire time, nor say a word, but as Arwen finished binding strands of her hair elegantly at the back of her head to form a plait, she looked in the mirror and gasped. The Queen got a fright when she squealed, and was at her friend's side in a second.

"Eve, what's wrong?" she asked softly, wrapping an arm around the shoulder of the trembling elf.

"I can't go down to the dining hall, I can't Arwen," she whispered, "I look......"

"You look perfect," Arwen said, reassuringly, "there is nothing wrong with you,"

"I don't deserve this," she muttered, looking down at the dress and the cloak, "I really do not deserve all of this. I should stay up here, out of sight and out of the way of everyone."

"You will join Aragorn and I at dinner," Arwen said firmly, "no excuses. You no more deserve to miss out than Aragorn or I," There was a small knock at the door, and both of them turned.

"Arwen, can we come in?" It was the King's voice through the door.

"I do not see why not, unless Eveaniea protests," She smiled at her companion, who, despite her shock and wide eyes, shook her head slightly, "You may," Arwen continued, placing a reassuring had on Eve's shoulder.

The door opened, and Aragorn walked in, Legolas behind him, both wearing attire that fit being indoors, and that fit their status- the King wearing a gold and red tunic, and a pair of leggings and leather boots, a wine coloured cloak covering most of his back, while the elf wore mostly pale shades- white and silver, his hair had been bound differently, so it did not fall over his shoulders, rather down his back. They both crossed the room, Aragorn heading to Arwen, to embrace her from behind and kiss her cheek, while Legolas stood back, staring at Eveaniea, of whom Arwen noticed seemed to be looking shell shocked. She went to say something, till Aragorn hushed her, and she fell silent.

"Let him do it," he whispered very softly into her ear, "It will mean more to her,".

Arwen looked up at him, and leaned back against her husband lightly, lying her head against his neck.

Legolas did not move, although well aware of Arwen and Aragorn only a few feet away from him, his grey-blue gaze was fixed upon Eveaniea, who stood before him. She looked nervous, unsure of herself, as if out of place in the elegant dress, and silvery cloak, and what pained him the most was that she looked as if she was doubting she was worthy of his attentions. Her eyes dropped, examining the floor in great detail, and she was wringing her hands lightly, almost unconsciously. In two seconds he crossed the distance between them, and he stood before her, placing his thumb and forefinger at her chin. He gently tilted her head up so she was looking directly at him, and he saw a single tear running down her cheek, slowly reaching her jaw, and falling to the floor, leaving a silver trail behind. She tried to look away from him, but he stopped it in a second, firming his grip on her chin ever so slightly, and he brushed away the tear track with his thumb.

"You look even more beautiful now, than you did before," he murmured softly to her, and he let her duck her head slightly as a small blush spread across her cheeks, "but I fear you do not possess the same confidence. Are you alright, amaelamin?"

"I am alright now," she said quietly, 'Thank you," he extended his hand to her, and she gingerly took it, slipping her smaller hand into his.

"Shall we go down to dinner?" Aragorn suggested, "If we are all ready?" He took Arwen's hand, and stepped to the side of his wife. Legolas looked to Eveaniea, who nodded briefly, and the four of them made their way down to the dinner table.

Later that night, Eveaniea walked over to her balcony, her small, silky soft hands gently tugging at the ties that held her long, smooth hair in several braids. Once it was free, she swept it out about her shoulders, which it cloaked around softly, settling, not a strand out of place. She looked out over Gondor, the magnificent white city, and the ground seemed to slip away beneath her, steadily. She was up so high she could see the land for miles around, and it was almost breathtaking to her. She had been in the possession of lowly bandits, surrounded by dark, tangled, thickets of forests for so long she was unused to such scenery, and it awed her no end. She felt she could sit out here for all of eternity, and still be surprised by it. She felt a light breeze of wind, and smiled as it circled her, and went on it's way, and she lightly climbed up onto the railing, sweeping her dress to the side, and wrapping her arms around her knees, closing her eyes, and relaxing, with nothing to bother her, just herself, the call of a guard on watch, every now and again, and the glow from the tiny torches they carried. She smiled lightly, and took a deep breath. The air was most definitely cleaner up here.

She had insisted on leaving after dinner with Aragorn and Legolas, her excuse being that she was unused to so much company and formality, and it was not a lie. She had felt it smothering her, suffocating her, to the point she could not bear it any longer. She had politely excused herself, and went to her room, for the peacefulness of being on her own- and safe. She knew eventually she would become accustomed to such gatherings once more, but she would rather do it slowly. She heard the door creak open slightly, a quiet figure enter the room, and she turned her head slightly to see Arwen at the balcony doors.

"Eveaniea," she said softly, "You are alright?" Arwen inquired gently, and Eveaniea pushed her hair back.

"I am okay," she assured her, "I am not used to the hustle of a court," she smiled warmly, her slightly thin face almost glowing as it had once done, "I am merely looking for peacefulness, now that I am in a safe place."

"That is good," Arwen nodded, "We were just a little worried, you almost ran away from the dining hall, we thought something might be wrong. But I am guessing if our assumptions were true, you would have already thrown yourself over the rail," she smiled slightly, "I am glad that is not the case."

Eveaniea jumped swiftly down from the edge, and stood in front of Arwen.

"I think.....it is over now," she sighed softly, and lowered her eyes, "And now, ....I no longer have a reason to wish for death to find me," she paused, somewhat uncertainly.

"Besides," she said hesitantly, "I am sure if such thoughts entered my mind, even now, no matter how bad, I would go to Legolas first." she turned and looked over the horizon once more, and Arwen came to stand beside her.

"You trust him that much?" Arwen asked her female companion.

"I would trust him with my life," she whispered, "I have not known him for that long, but," she dropped off for a moment.

"Aragorn has known him for a long time, I have known him for longer. Never in my life has he ever come close to doing anything that would make me doubt our faith in him," she said quickly, almost sternly, then she softened. "I think that you have the right impression of him so far, and you are making a good choice in being betrothed to him."

"Yes," Eveaniea nodded slowly, tiredly, "I do believe so,"

Arwen grinned slightly.

"You have had a long day, get some rest. I will send someone in, in the morning, to wake you," She motioned to the bed, "Have a good sleep," she said.

Eveaniea watched her leave, and then tumbled onto the bed, falling asleep before she could bring herself to pull the covers over her.

Thank god elves do not feel the cold was the last thought that passed through her head before she retreated to her dream world.

Both Aragorn and Legolas lifted their heads and turned to the door as Arwen re-appeared, and Legolas stood up abruptly from the couch he had been previously sitting in.

"Is she alright?" he asked quickly, before she could even close the door. Arwen laughed softly.

"She is fine," she said, "she just wanted some quiet time. She is not used to gatherings with so many people,"

Legolas sat back down, and Arwen resumed her place beside Aragon, and Aragorn rested his arm on her shoulder.

"I see it as perfectly normal," The King commented quietly, "She has not held such company in a long time, I think it highly likely it would scare her, it scares me sometimes," he grinned, and took a sip from a goblet of wine. Arwen looked over to Legolas.

"She has just gone to bed," she said, "I do not think she would mind you going in to say goodnight."

He looked at her momentarily, taking a sip of wine, and then he rested it down on the small table that was set in the middle of the chairs.

"I will go and see her before I retire," he said, and nodded to both Arwen and Aragorn, "Goodnight my friends."

"Goodnight Legolas," Aragorn said as his elven friend left the room. He leaned back on the couch, and Arwen raised a hand to play with his well groomed hair.

"Maybe we should retire as well," she whispered, "You are also in need of a rest Aragorn."

Aragorn smiled, and let his wife help him to his feet.

"I do believe you are right," he said wearily, "I am more tired than I thought," and let her lead him to bed.

Legolas walked down the deserted hallways, the only sound his sharp ears could pick up being the snores of the nobles who resided in this wing of the palace. He walked past the room his father rested in, and down past the soldiers quarters, past his room, where he came to a halt in front of the door at the end of the corridor. He hesitated slightly, listening, he could hear the soft sighs of Eveaniea slow breathing, and without debating it further, he quietly pushed open the solid door, and he slipped into the room, closing it discreetly behind him. He looked around the room, which was lit only by the light of the moon that flowed in though the open balcony doors, and pooled on the ground, slid down the walls. It illuminated the pale white dress Eve wore, making it glow softly. He smiled when he saw her, fast asleep, on top of her bed, on top of the covers, and he walked over to her lightly, standing at her bedside, watching her. She was so far gone in sleep she barely stirred in his presence, didn't notice he was even there, until he cautiously reached out a careful hand, and rested it on her shoulder lightly. She awoke with a start, pulling away, and brushing her long hair from her face to look up at him with confused deep blue eyes. When she realised who it was, she sighed, and lay down once more.

"Shhh," he said gently, "It is only me," He carefully picked her up, and tucked her beneath the blankets, pulling them up over her shoulders. He placed a pillow beneath her head, and she smiled at him softly, and placed her hand over his.

"Goodnight," she said in a sleepy voice, but when he went to pull away, she held his hand tighter.

He looked at her warily, and sat down on the bed, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

"Please stay here," She whispered quietly, half burying her face in the pillow, and he laughed softly at her.

"You are a funny little thing, aren't you," He smiled as he curled up beside her.

Reviews are always appreciated

RTT


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